Did You Know?: Tracing Bishop Consecrations All the Way to Saint Peter

Did You Know? Tracing Bishop Consecrations All the Way to Saint Peter

An Education & Communication Series from the Bishop Nominating Committee*‍

In the Episcopal Church, bishops hold great authority as guardians of the faith. As such, their consecrations - the liturgies in which they are made a bishop - are important spiritual moments.

Every new bishop is consecrated by three other bishops, one of whom is the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church. Every bishop can trace their spiritual lineage back through the bishop who consecrated them, like an ecclesiastical family tree, that goes all the way back to the early church and Saint Peter himself. This lineage is called apostolic succession. Apostolic succession is a sign that our church today is consistent with the beliefs and practices of the early church and the teachings of Jesus.

When you attend a bishop's consecration, you are participating in a holy and ancient practice!

Apostolic Succession of the Diocesan Bishops of West Texas

The Rt. Rev. Robert Woodward Barnwell Elliott, D.D. - 106th in American Succession

The Rt. Rev. James Steptoe Johnson, D.D. - 144th in American Succession

The Rt. Rev. William Theodotus Capers, D.D. - 270th in American Succession

The Rt. Rev. Everett Holland Jones, D.D. - 440th in American Succession

The Rt. Rev. Harold Cornelius Gosnell, D.D. - 633rd in American Succession

The Rt. Rev. Scott Field Bailey, D.D. - 604th in American Succession
‍(Bailey served as Bishop Suffragan in the Diocese of Texas, prior to serving as Bishop of West Texas)

The Rt. Rev. John Herbert MacNaughton, D.D. - 802nd in American Succession

The Rt. Rev. James Edward Folts, D.D. - 889th in American Succession

The Rt. Rev. Gary Richard Lillibridge, D.D. - 995th in American Succession

The Rt. Rev. David Mitchell Reed, D.D. - 1005th in American Succession

More Information & Resources

• Click here to read the Diocesan Profile online.
• Click here to review the Discernment Timeline.
• Click here to read recent written and video communications from the Standing Committee.
• Click here to open the Bishop Election webpage.

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News and updates from the Standing Committee will be shared by email, the diocesan Facebook and Instagram feed, and online, at dwtx.org/bishop-election.

• Click here to subscribe to the Diocesan General Interest email list, which will receive all Standing Committee communications.

*Bishop Nominating Committee

The Standing Committee Members
President - the Rev. Dr. Ben Nelson, TMI Episcopal, San Antonio
Mrs. Nancy Beauchamp, Good Shepherd, Corpus Christi
The Rev. Scott Brown, TMI Episcopal, San Antonio
Dr. Liz Manning, Holy Spirit, Dripping Springs
Mr. Richard Mosty, St. Peter’s, Kerrville
The Rev. Matthew Wise, St. Mark’s, San Antonio

The Assisting Members

Mrs. Thurma Hilton, St. Richard’s, Round Rock
The Rev. Alex Holloway, St. Margaret’s, San Antonio
The Rev. John Inserra, St. Alban’s, Harlingen
Ms. Andrea Knight, Resurrection, Windcrest
The Rev. Karen Morris, Emmanuel, Lockhart
The Rev. Arnoldo Romero, St. James, Del Rio

Photo credit to the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, Episcopal Church in North Texas, and Lauren Vereen of St. Peter's Church, Kerrville.