Edmond Browning
Encyclopedia
Edmond Lee Browning is an American
bishop. He was the 24th Presiding Bishop
and Primate
of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.
education from the University of the South
, commonly known as Sewanee
. While there he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. He earned a Bachelor of Arts
in 1952, followed by the postgraduate Bachelor of Divinity
in 1954. On July 2, 1954, he was ordained to the diaconate
. His ordination to the priest
hood took place on May 23, 1955, in the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas
. He was married to Patricia Alline Sparks on September 10, 1953. Together they had five children; Mark, Paige, Philip, Peter, and John.
Browning began his ministry as a priest in Corpus Christi, Texas as an assistant at the Church of the Good Shepherd from 1954 to 1956, followed by a period as the Rector
of the Church of the Redeemer in Eagle Pass, Texas
from 1956 to 1959.
and began what would become a 12 year span in Japan
. He was priest-in-charge of All Souls Church, Okinawa, until 1963 when he and his wife went to Kobe
to study at the Language School; they remained in Kobe until 1965. On returning to Okinawa, Bishop Browning served at St. Matthew's Church in Oruku until 1968. On January 5, 1968, Browning was consecrated the first Missionary
Bishop
of Okinawa.
He remained in that post until May 16, 1971, when he left Japan for Nice
to assume the post of Bishop of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe
. At the time of his appointment to the European See
by Presiding Bishop John Hines
, he was the first active, full-time bishop to be appointed to the post. Previously the position had been occupied by a retired Suffragan bishop. As bishop in Europe, Browning had jurisdiction over Episcopal churches in Germany
, Switzerland
, Belgium
, Italy
and France
. Browning oversaw the closing of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity in Nice, in connection with the withdrawal of U.S. forces from France. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity
, commonly known as the American Cathedral in Paris, had become the seat of the bishop-in-charge in 1922, but for various reasons, Browning chose not to move to Paris but lived in Wiesbaden, Germany.
as Executive for National and World Mission on the Executive Council of the Church. In 1976, he was elected Bishop of Hawaii
and was installed at the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, Honolulu
on August 1 of that year. He was the second Bishop of Hawaii since the Missionary
District of Honolulu was granted status as a diocese in 1969. Overall, he was the sixth bishop since 1862 when Bishop Thomas Nettleship Staley
arrived in Honolulu at the invitation of Hawaii's King Kamehameha IV. Browning succeeded Bishop E. Lani Hanchett, who had died in office the previous year at the age of 56.
as Presiding Bishop at the General Convention
held in Anaheim, California
. His election to the 12 year term came on the fourth ballot
of the House of Bishops
and was ratified overwhelmingly by a voice vote of the House of Deputies
.
Shortly after his election, Browning said of his vision for the Episcopal Church, "There are tremendous global issues that face us all. My hope is that the Church can continue to hold these issues before the full membership, as well as society, to bring about some well-being for all. I think the Church has a role in being both prophetic in holding up issues, and using all its influences to try to bring about better conditions for the poor, the hungry, both in this country as well as in the global village." He later added, "there will be no outcasts in the Church."
On January 16, 1986, Browning was installed in Washington National Cathedral
as the 24th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. During his sermon
, he began to address the deepening rift within the church over issues such as the ordination of women and homosexuality
, by saying, "(do not ask me) to honor one set of views and disregard the other. I may agree with one, but I will respect both...the unity of this church will be maintained not because we agree on everything but because -- hopefully -- we will leave judgment to God."
Browning's theologically liberal views earned him both admiration from progressives and intense criticism by the conservative wing of the church, and the rift, primarily over whether openly homosexual clergy may be ordained and whether gay and lesbian couples' unions may be blessed by the church, grew during his tenure. The tensions broke into a personal public exchange at the 1991 General Convention
in Phoenix, Arizona
, during a session of the House of Bishops
, between the conservative Bishop John MacNaughton of the Diocese of West Texas
and Bishop John Spong
of the Diocese of Newark
, prompting Browning to call for an unusual closed session of the bishops.
Browning retired on December 31, 1997, and was succeeded by the Most Reverend Frank Griswold
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bishop. He was the 24th 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...
and Primate
Primate (religion)
Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.
Education, ordination, early ministry
Browning received his seminarySeminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
education from the University of the South
Sewanee, The University of the South
The University of the South is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is owned by twenty-eight southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church and its School of Theology is an official seminary of the church. The university's School of Letters offers graduate...
, commonly known as Sewanee
Sewanee, The University of the South
The University of the South is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is owned by twenty-eight southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church and its School of Theology is an official seminary of the church. The university's School of Letters offers graduate...
. While there he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. He earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1952, followed by the postgraduate Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
in 1954. On July 2, 1954, he was ordained to the diaconate
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
. His ordination to the priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
hood took place on May 23, 1955, in the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas
Episcopal Diocese of West Texas
The Episcopal Diocese of West Texas is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America whose territory comprises the southernmost part of the state of Texas, including the cities of San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Brownsville...
. He was married to Patricia Alline Sparks on September 10, 1953. Together they had five children; Mark, Paige, Philip, Peter, and John.
Browning began his ministry as a priest in Corpus Christi, Texas as an assistant at the Church of the Good Shepherd from 1954 to 1956, followed by a period as the Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the Church of the Redeemer in Eagle Pass, Texas
Eagle Pass, Texas
Eagle Pass is a city in and the county seat of Maverick County The population was 27,183 as of the 2010 census.Eagle Pass borders the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, which is to the southwest and across the Rio Grande. The Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras Metropolitan Area is one of six...
from 1956 to 1959.
Japan and Europe
In 1959, Browning and his wife moved to OkinawaOkinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
and began what would become a 12 year span in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He was priest-in-charge of All Souls Church, Okinawa, until 1963 when he and his wife went to Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
to study at the Language School; they remained in Kobe until 1965. On returning to Okinawa, Bishop Browning served at St. Matthew's Church in Oruku until 1968. On January 5, 1968, Browning was consecrated the first Missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
Bishop
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 Okinawa.
He remained in that post until May 16, 1971, when he left Japan for Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
to assume the post of Bishop of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe
Convocation of American Churches in Europe
The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe is a jurisdiction of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America similar to a diocese which includes all of the Episcopal Church's congregations in continental Europe...
. At the time of his appointment to the European See
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
by Presiding Bishop John Hines
John Elbridge Hines
John Elbridge Hines was a bishop in the Episcopal Church in the United States. When he was elected the 22nd Presiding Bishop in 1965, at the age of 54, he was the youngest person to hold that office, which he held until 1974....
, he was the first active, full-time bishop to be appointed to the post. Previously the position had been occupied by a retired Suffragan bishop. As bishop in Europe, Browning had jurisdiction over Episcopal churches in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Browning oversaw the closing of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity in Nice, in connection with the withdrawal of U.S. forces from France. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity
American Cathedral in Paris
Consecrated on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1886, The American Cathedral in Paris is the gathering church for the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe. The American Cathedral is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion...
, commonly known as the American Cathedral in Paris, had become the seat of the bishop-in-charge in 1922, but for various reasons, Browning chose not to move to Paris but lived in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Return to the United States
Browning returned to the United States in June 1974 to work at the Episcopal Church Center in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as Executive for National and World Mission on the Executive Council of the Church. In 1976, he was elected Bishop of Hawaii
Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii
The Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii is the ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Episcopal Church of the Anglican Communion in the United States encompassing the state of Hawaii...
and was installed at the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, Honolulu
Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, Honolulu
The Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, also commonly known as St. Andrew's Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church in the United States located in the State of Hawaii...
on August 1 of that year. He was the second Bishop of Hawaii since the Missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
District of Honolulu was granted status as a diocese in 1969. Overall, he was the sixth bishop since 1862 when Bishop Thomas Nettleship Staley
Thomas Nettleship Staley
Thomas Nettleship Staley was a British bishop of the Church of England and the first Anglican bishop of the Church of Hawaii.-Life:Thomas Nettleship Staley was born 17 January 1823 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England...
arrived in Honolulu at the invitation of Hawaii's King Kamehameha IV. Browning succeeded Bishop E. Lani Hanchett, who had died in office the previous year at the age of 56.
Presiding Bishop
On September 19, 1985, Browning was elected to succeed the Most Reverend John Maury AllinJohn Maury Allin
John Maury Allin was the 23rd presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.-Biography:He was born in Helena, Arkansas. He graduated from the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, and its divinity school, then called St. Luke's Seminary, in 1945. He earned a Master of Education degree in 1962...
as Presiding Bishop at the General Convention
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...
held in Anaheim, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. His election to the 12 year term came on the fourth ballot
Ballot
A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed to protect the...
of the House of Bishops
House of Bishops
The House of Bishops is the third House in a General Synod of some Anglican churches and the second house in the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.-Composition of Houses of Bishops:...
and was ratified overwhelmingly by a voice vote of the House of Deputies
House of Deputies
The House of Deputies is one of the legislative houses of the bicameral General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America...
.
Shortly after his election, Browning said of his vision for the Episcopal Church, "There are tremendous global issues that face us all. My hope is that the Church can continue to hold these issues before the full membership, as well as society, to bring about some well-being for all. I think the Church has a role in being both prophetic in holding up issues, and using all its influences to try to bring about better conditions for the poor, the hungry, both in this country as well as in the global village." He later added, "there will be no outcasts in the Church."
On January 16, 1986, Browning was installed in Washington National Cathedral
Washington National Cathedral
The Washington National Cathedral, officially named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Of neogothic design, it is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the second-largest in...
as the 24th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. During his sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
, he began to address the deepening rift within the church over issues such as the ordination of women and homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, by saying, "(do not ask me) to honor one set of views and disregard the other. I may agree with one, but I will respect both...the unity of this church will be maintained not because we agree on everything but because -- hopefully -- we will leave judgment to God."
Browning's theologically liberal views earned him both admiration from progressives and intense criticism by the conservative wing of the church, and the rift, primarily over whether openly homosexual clergy may be ordained and whether gay and lesbian couples' unions may be blessed by the church, grew during his tenure. The tensions broke into a personal public exchange at the 1991 General Convention
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 Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, during a session of the House of Bishops
House of Bishops
The House of Bishops is the third House in a General Synod of some Anglican churches and the second house in the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.-Composition of Houses of Bishops:...
, between the conservative Bishop John MacNaughton of the Diocese of West Texas
Episcopal Diocese of West Texas
The Episcopal Diocese of West Texas is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America whose territory comprises the southernmost part of the state of Texas, including the cities of San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Brownsville...
and Bishop John Spong
John Shelby Spong
John Shelby "Jack" Spong is a retired American bishop of the Episcopal Church. He was formerly the Bishop of Newark . He is a liberal Christian theologian, religion commentator and author...
of the Diocese of Newark
Episcopal Diocese of Newark
The Episcopal Diocese of Newark is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America comprising the northern third of New Jersey in the United States...
, prompting Browning to call for an unusual closed session of the bishops.
Browning retired on December 31, 1997, and was succeeded by the Most Reverend Frank Griswold
Frank Tracy Griswold
Frank Tracy Griswold III is an American bishop. He was the 25th Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church....
.