Hello, fellow pilgrims. I thought I’d share some Episcopal history this week. Do you know who our very first Episcopal Bishop in America was? His name was The Rev. Dr. Samuel Seabury and not only was he the first episcopal bishop in America, he was the very first bishop of any denomination in America! His story is an interesting one.
Rev. Dr. Samuel Seabury was consecrated bishop on November 14, 1784 in Aberdeen, Scotland. Before his consecration, the priests in America fell under the jurisdiction of the Anglican Church in England and the bishops there. The Anglican Church was afraid of the changes that would follow the independence of an American Episcopate. And so, in typical human-fashion, the powers that be set about to make the lives of those whom they saw as a threat to their sovereignty as difficult as possible. Here’s how:
A bishop needs to be consecrated by three other bishops. Because there were no bishops in America, Seabury had to travel all the way to England to be consecrated bishop. But first he needed the approval of the Anglican church. Needless to say, he never received their approval. So Seabury decided to continue northward to Scotland where he was welcomed by three agreeable bishops. It was there that he was consecrated, paving the way for an American Episcopate. So, we owe our origins as an independent Episcopate to Scotland. England, not keen on Scotland assuming an ecclesiastical rite that England considered its own authority to perform, was not to be outmaneuvered. England became agreeable thereafter, consecrating the next two American bishops themselves which then secured the establishment of an American Episcopate. Having secured three American bishops, we were then empowered to consecrate our own bishops on American soil.
The life of a protestant bishop was not for the faint of heart. Still isn’t. Nevertheless, Seabury served devotedly as our first bishop for 12 years before he died at the age of 68. He was known to be a humble man of Christ who beheld great character and perseverance, and he led from the trenches and not from a position of elitist authority. He accomplished many things during his episcopate, paving the way for The Episcopal Church that we have today. One of his most recognizable accomplishments, after his own consecration, was his first consecration of a bishop on American soil… the consecration of Bishop John Claggett. Bishop Claggett was the first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland. Bishop Carrie Schofield-Broadbent is our fifteenth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and the FIRST female Bishop Diocesan of Maryland. Cool stuff!
You are beautiful and you are beloved.
Angela+