William Evan Sanders
William Evan Sanders (born December 25, 1919) was eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee from 1977 to 1985, and first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee from 1985 to 1992. He was consecrated on April 4, 1962.
The Right Reverend William Evan Sanders D.D. | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of East Tennessee | |
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| Church | Episcopal Church |
| Diocese | East Tennessee |
| In office | 1985-1992 |
| Successor | Robert Tharp |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 11, 1946 by James M. Maxon |
| Consecration | April 4, 1962 by Arthur C. Lichtenberger |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 25, 1919 Natchez, Mississippi, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Parents | Walter Richard Sanders & Agnes Mortimer Jones |
| Spouse | Kathryn Cowan Schaffer (m. 1951) Marlin Jones Phythyon (m. 2005) |
| Children | 4 |
| Previous post | Coadjutor Bishop of Tennessee (1962-1977) Bishop of Tennessee (1977-1985) |
| Alma mater | Vanderbilt University |
Early life and education
Sanders was born on December 25, 1919 in Natchez, Mississippi, the son of Walter Richard Sanders and Agnes Mortimer Jones. His brother was B. Sidney Sanders, Bishop of East Carolina. He grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and was educated at the Nashville High School. He studied at Vanderbilt University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1942. He then studied for a Bachelor of Divinity at Sewanee: The University of the South from where he graduated in 1945. He also earned a Master of Sacred Theology from Union Theological Seminary. He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity from the University of the South in 1959.[1][2]
Ordained Ministry
Sanders was ordained deacon in February 1945 and priest on June 11, 1946, on both occasions by Bishop James M. Maxon of Tennessee, in the Church of the Advent, Nashville, Tennessee. Initially, he served as deacon at St Paul's Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and later as assistant priest at the Cathedral of St Mary in Memphis, Tennessee. On December 23, 1946, he was appointed acting Dean of the Cathedral of St Mary, and a year later, was confirmed as Dean of the cathedral, a post he retained till 1962.[3]
Bishop
On April 4, 1962, Sanders was consecrated Coadjutor Bishop of Tennessee, in St Mary's Cathedral, Memphis, by Presiding Bishop Arthur C. Lichtenberger.[4] He succeeded as diocesan bishop in 1977 and remained bishop there till 1985, when the Diocese of Tennessee was divided in three dioceses. He choose to become bishop of the East Tennessee, and became its bishop on January 1, 1985. He retired on January 1, 1992.
References
- Fish, C. S. (1941). "Sanders, William Evans". Stowe's Clerical Directory of the American Episcopal Church: 25.
- Davies-Rodgers, E. (1973). The Great Book: Calvary Protestant Episcopal Church, 1832-1972, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, p. 890. Plantation Press, Villa Rica, Georgia.
- "Dean Sanders Installed". The Living Church. 116 (3): 19. 18 January 1948.
- "Consecration in Memphis". The Living Church. 144: 7. 15 April 1962.
- Episcopal Clerical Directory 2013