Willie Hill (bishop)

Last updated

Willie J. Hill Jr.
Bishop Ordinary of the Southeast
Church Anglican Church in North America
Reformed Episcopal Church
Diocese REC Southeast
In office2022–present
Predecessor William White
Orders
Ordination1982 (diaconate)
1984 (priesthood)
Consecration2022
by  Foley Beach
Personal details
Born1951 (age 7172)

Willie James Hill Jr. (born 1951) is an American Anglican bishop currently serving as bishop ordinary of the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of the Southeast and as rector of St. John's Reformed Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Contents

Early life, education, and family

Hill was born in Moncks Corner to Willie J. Hill Sr. and Gladys Hill and raised in the Reformed Episcopal Church. [1] He married Gale in 1974 and has three adult children and six grandchildren. [2] Hill studied at Reformed Episcopal Seminary in Philadelphia and received degrees from Cummins Memorial Theological Seminary in Summerville, South Carolina, in 1981, as well as from Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. [3]

Ordained ministry

Hill began ordained ministry in 1982 in the Reformed Episcopal Church and served parishes in Pennsylvania and South Carolina. [3]

He was appointed rector of St. John's Reformed Episcopal Church in 2013 and launched new initiatives to engage the surrounding Ansonborough community. “The truth is there is no vision for a future if we maintain that mindset,” he said. “That is one of the symptoms of a dying church.” He welcomed visiting college gospel choirs to sing in St. John's sanctuary and added a midday Bible study for elderly members who could not travel to evening events. [4]

Episcopal ministry

On 28 February 2022, Hill was elected bishop co-adjutor with the right to succeed Bishop Ordinary William White upon his retirement. [3] [5] Hill's election received consent from the Anglican Church in North America College of Bishops on 13 June 2022, [6] and he was consecrated on 13 August 2022 at Grace Reformed Episcopal Church in Moncks Corner. ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach was the chief consecrator, and REC Presiding Bishop Ray Sutton was the consecration preacher. [7] [1] In September 2022, White retired and Sutton installed Hill as bishop ordinary during the diocese's annual synod. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reformed Episcopal Church</span> Anglican church of evangelical Episcopalian heritage

The Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) is an Anglican church of evangelical Episcopalian heritage. It was founded in 1873 in New York City by George David Cummins, a former bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglican Province of America</span> American Continuing Anglican denomination

The Anglican Province of America (APA) is a Continuing Anglican church in the United States. The church was founded by former members of the Episcopal Church in the United States.

David Bernard Thompson was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Charleston, South Carolina from 1990 to 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Sutton</span> American Anglican bishop

Raymond Ronny Sutton is an American Anglican bishop. He was bishop coadjutor in the Diocese of Mid-America of the Reformed Episcopal Church, since 1999, a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America, in 2009. He is the former Rector of the Church of the Holy Communion in Dallas, Texas, president and Professor of Scripture and Theology at Cranmer Theological House in Houston, Texas, and headmaster of Holy Communion Christian Academy. Sutton was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and moved to Dallas at age thirteen.

Royal Upton Grote Jr. was an American Anglican bishop. He served as the Presiding Bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC), from 2014 to 2016, which was a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America in June 2009. He also served as bishop ordinary of the REC Diocese of Mid-America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diocese of the Southeast (Reformed Episcopal Church)</span> Reformed Episcopal diocese in the United States

The Diocese of the Southeast is a Reformed Episcopal Church diocese and as such an Anglican Church in North America founding diocese. The diocese comprises 32 parishes, 30 in South Carolina and 2 in Georgia, in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Summerville, South Carolina. The current bishop ordinary is Willie J. Hill Jr., who was installed in September 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David L. Hicks</span> American Anglican bishop (born 1963)

David Lee Hicks is an American Anglican bishop. He was bishop coadjutor in the Diocese of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic of the Reformed Episcopal Church, from 2005 to 2008 and served as bishop ordinary from 2008 to 2019. He had been also a bishop of the Anglican Church in North America, since the Reformed Episcopal Church was one of the founding bodies that joined at its inception, beginning in 2009. He also served as president and chancellor of the Reformed Episcopal Seminary as well as on various committees.

John Clark Buchanan was an American bishop. He was the sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John's Reformed Episcopal Church</span> Church in South Carolina, United States

St. John's Reformed Episcopal Church is a historic African-American Anglican church in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1906 and occupying a building built in 1850, the church is a member of the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of the Southeast.

Charles F. "Chip" Edgar III is an American Anglican bishop. He has been bishop of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina (ADOSC) since 2022.

Walter Raymond Banek is an American Anglican bishop and classical Christian educator. He is currently serving as bishop suffragan in the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of Mid-America and as rector of Good Shepherd Church in Tyler, Texas.

Raymond Charles Gillin is an American Anglican bishop currently serving as bishop ordinary of the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic (NEMA).

William Joseph White is an American Anglican bishop who served as bishop ordinary of the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of the Southeast.

Peter F. Manto is an American Anglican bishop currently serving as bishop ordinary of the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of the Central States.

Charles William Dorrington is a retired Canadian Anglican bishop and church musician of the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC). From 1996 to 2016, he was bishop ordinary of the Diocese of Western Canada and Alaska. He also initiated and oversaw the REC's work in Cuba, which led to the formation of the Missionary Diocese of Cuba.

Daniel Rogan Morse is an American Anglican bishop currently serving as bishop ordinary of the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of the Central States.

Alphonza Gadsden Sr. is an American Anglican bishop. From 2007 to 2020, he was bishop ordinary of the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of the Southeast.

Sanco King Rembert was an American Anglican bishop notable for being the first African-American bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church. Consecrated in 1966 to assist in the REC's Missionary Jurisdiction of the South, he served from 1987 to 1998 as bishop ordinary of the Diocese of the Southeast. Since Rembert, all bishops ordinary in the Diocese of the Southeast have been black.

William Alan "Bill" Jenkins Sr. is an American Anglican bishop. He is currently bishop coadjutor of the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic (NEMA). He was previously canon to the ordinary in the diocese.

References

  1. 1 2 "Bishop Willie J. Hill" (PDF). The Flame. CUMMINS MEMORIAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  2. "Interview of Rev. Willie J. Hill, Jr. of St. John Reformed Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC". Youtube. Norym Ent. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Collins, Charles A. (5 March 2022). "Bishop Coadjutor Elected for the Diocese of the Southeast". The Aquila Report. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  4. Dennis, Rickey Ciapha (10 February 2019). "Historic downtown Charleston church surviving gentrification, internal struggles". The Post and Courier. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  5. Dillane, Matt (28 February 2022). "New bishop elected for Reformed Episcopal Diocese of the Southeast". ABC4 News. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  6. "CONSECRATION OF BISHOP COADJUTOR WILLIE J. HILL". Anglican Church in North America. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  7. Sutton, Ray (October 5, 2022). "Report of the Bishop Ordinary" (PDF). Reports for the One Hundred Fifteenth Synod. Diocese of Mid-America. p. 13. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
Anglican Communion titles
Preceded by IX REC Bishop of the Southeast
2022present
Incumbent