Harry W. Shipps

Harry Woolston Shipps was the Eighth Bishop of the U.S. state of Georgia. He was the 778th bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA).

Life

The Rt. Rev. Harry Shipps

Harry Woolston Shipps was born January 28, 1926, in Trenton, New Jersey. He was a 1946 graduate of the New York State Maritime Academy and served in the Merchant Marine and the United States Navy for nine years. On May 16, 1953, he married Louise Huntington Rosenberger.

Shipps attended the School of Theology at the University of the South and received his B.D. degree there in 1958. That same year, he was ordained as a transitional deacon. He was ordained to the priesthood in January 1959. Shipps served in parish ministry in Albany, Savannah and Augusta, Georgia. He also served the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, prior to his election as Bishop, as diocesan secretary, editor of the diocesan newspaper, on diocesan council, member and president of the standing committee and as a deputy to three General Conventions. He was the Dean of the Augusta Convocation at the time of his election. Shipps was elected Bishop coadjutor on September 15, 1983, on 11th round of balloting from a field of 35 nominees.

Episcopacy

Harry W. Shipps was consecrated as the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. He had been elected as a bishop coadjutor to succeed Paul Reeves on Bishop Reeve's retirement. Bishop Shipps served as diocesan bishop from 1985 through 1995. During Bishop Shipps' tenure as diocesan bishop, the Diocese made headlines when a former Assembly of God minister, Stan White, lead his independent congregation to join the Episcopal Church en masse and as Christ the King Church, Valdosta, became a congregation in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. During his episcopacy, women were first ordained in the Diocese of Georgia. He was succeeded by Henry I. Louttit, Jr..

Sources

• Episcopal Church Service article on Shipps' election
• Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory
• Augusta Chronica article on Shipps' election