Early life

William Louis Stevens was born in Yuba City, California

Yuba City, California

Yuba City is a Northern California city, founded in 1849. It is the county seat of Sutter County, California, United States. The population was 64,925 at the 2010 census....

 on January 12, 1932. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Francisco State University

San Francisco State University

San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...

 in 1953 then attended and General Theological Seminary, New York

General Theological Seminary

The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States and is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York....

 where in 1956 he received a Bachelor of Sacred Theology

Bachelor of Sacred Theology

The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is a graduate-level academic degree in theology.The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is offered by a number of Pontifical Universities. It is sometimes offered as a graduate degree, for students who have already completed a B.A. or other first degree...

 degree.

Priesthood

The Rt. Rev. Karl Morgan Block, Bishop of California

Episcopal Diocese of California

The Episcopal Diocese of California is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in Northern California...

, ordained Stevens a Deacon

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...

 in 1956 and a 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...

 in 1957. Stevens then served congregations in San Francisco, and London, England. Stevens then became Vicar

Vicar

In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...

 of St. Benedict's Episcopal Church, Plantation, Florida, in 1961, leading the congregation from mission to parish status. He also became a novice in the Order of the Holy Cross

Order of the Holy Cross

The Order of the Holy Cross is an international Anglican monastic Order that follows the Rule of St. Benedict.-History:The Order was founded in 1884 by the Rev. James Otis Sargent Huntington, an Episcopal priest, in New York City. The Order moved to Maryland briefly before settling in West Park,...

. From 1961-1980 he held numerous positions of responsibility in the community and the Diocese of Southeast Florida

Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida

The Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America which extends from Key West on the south, to Jensen Beach on the north and inland to Clewiston on the west. Major cities in the diocese are Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach...

, including President of the Standing Committee and Chairman of the Liturgical Commission. As a parish priest he was especially sought out for his wise spiritual counsel and personal pastoral ability.

Episcopate

Stevens was consecrated the sixth bishop of Fond du Lac

Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac

The Diocese of Fond du Lac is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the northeastern third of Wisconsin. The diocese contains more than 6,000 baptized members worshipping in 36 locations. It is part of Province 5 . Diocesan offices are in Appleton, Wisconsin...

 on September 7, 1980. He was an Anglo Catholic who knew the history of the diocese he was called to serve. As Bishop, he led the diocese in spiritual renewal, emphasized religious education, and strengthened personal and corporate Christian commitment. As a preacher, he was skilled at bringing theological concepts to life: complex ideas were made clear by stories and examples. As Bishop, he took his role as teacher seriously. Always compassionate, he wanted to make sure his hearers understood that theology helped them live more Christian lives. While her adapted to the climate of Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

, he stoically endured poor health during many of his 14 years in the diocese.

Bishop Stevens was the recipient of two honorary doctorates in 1981; a Doctor of Divinity

Doctor of Divinity

Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....

 from General Theological Seminary

General Theological Seminary

The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States and is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York....

 and Doctor of Canon Law

Doctor of Canon Law

Doctor of Canon Law is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. , ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. . Doctor of both laws are J.U.D...

 from Nashotah House

Nashotah House

Nashotah House is an Anglo-Catholic seminary of the Episcopal Church located in Nashotah, Wisconsin, approximately 30 miles from Milwaukee, in the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee. The seminary opened its doors in 1842 and received its official charter in 1847...

. Stevens served as President of the Board of Trustees of Nashotah House Theological Seminary

Nashotah House

Nashotah House is an Anglo-Catholic seminary of the Episcopal Church located in Nashotah, Wisconsin, approximately 30 miles from Milwaukee, in the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee. The seminary opened its doors in 1842 and received its official charter in 1847...

. He served as Episcopal Visitor for the Order of St. Benedict in Two Rivers, Michigan, and the Sisters of the Holy Nativity in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. For Bishop Stevens, this wasn’t merely a pro forma relationship. He spent much time at the Mother House, and the Sisters became a second family to him. He served as Chairman 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:...

 Commission on Religious Communities and was on the Board of Directors of the national organization of Episcopalians for Life. He was enrolled as a life member of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament

Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament

The Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament is a devotional society in the Anglican Communion dedicated to venerating the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist...

 on April 11, 1983.

Ecumenism

Ecumenism

Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...

 was a strong interest of Stevens. He built up the diocese’s relationship with Wisconsin LARCUM (Lutheran-Anglican-Roman Catholic-United Methodist) and with EDEO (Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical Officers) and signed an expansive covenant with the local Roman Catholic Diocese and ELCA

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...

 Lutheran Synod. Those associated with him, with his most conservative views, were often surprised to hear him exhort ecumenists to “just get on with it,” without splitting theological hairs. Though conservative himself, Bishop Stevens made it his mission to establish a climate open to diversity of opinion, one which would not lead to polarization among those of opposing views. A modest, unassuming man, he treated everyone with unfailing courtesy and was a sympathetic listener. He expected his clergy and people to handle differences with tolerance and good manners. Those who worked with him soon perceived just how much he hated loud arguments, or hectoring language. His sermons often proclaimed that the Church on earth was “a hospital for sinners,” lest people forget that there would always be disagreement, mistakes, human mess. His participation in numerous devotional societies expressed his conviction that prayer

Prayer

Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...

 was vital to the life of any Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 body.

He returned to Plantation, Florida following his retirement in January, 1994. William Louis Stevens died November 4, 1997, after a two year struggle with the results of a debilitating stroke. A requiem mass was held at St. Benedict’s Church, Plantation, Florida

Plantation, Florida

Plantation is the name of the following places in the U.S. state of Florida:*Plantation, Florida, a city in Broward County; the largest of the places named "Plantation" in Florida*Plantation, Sarasota County, Florida, a census-designated place...

. His cremated remains are buried in St. Benedict’s Memorial Garden. A Memorial Service was held at the Cathedral of St. Paul the Apostle in Fond du Lac.