James Gary Gloster (born June 6, 1936) is an

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prelate who served as Suffragan Bishop of North Carolina in

The Episcopal Church The Episcopal Church (TEC), also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA), is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, based in the United States. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is ...

between 1996 and 2007.

Early life and education

Gloster was born on June 6, 1936, in

Hopkinsville, Kentucky Hopkinsville is a list of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in and the county seat of Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census was 31,180. History Early years The area of p ...

. He was educated at

Wabash College Wabash College is a private liberal arts men's college located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Founded in 1832, by a group of Dartmouth College graduates and Midwestern leaders, the institution was originally named "The Wabash Teachers Seminary an ...

and graduated in 1959. He then studied at the

Virginia Theological Seminary Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), formally the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, is an Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. It is the largest and second-oldest such accredited se ...

and earned his

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and ...

in 1962. He was awarded a

Doctor of Ministry The Doctor of Ministry (DMin) is a doctorate in religious ministry. It often includes an original research component, and may be earned by a minister of religion while concurrently engaged in ministry. It is categorized as an advanced doctoral de ...

from the Virginia Seminary in 1990.

Career

He was ordained deacon in 1962 and then priest on December 21, 1962. He then became vicar of St Augustine's Church in

Danville, Indiana Danville is a town in and the county seat of Hendricks County, Indiana, United States. The population was 10,559 at the 2020 census. History Danville was founded in 1824, and its post office one year later. Danville was incorporated as a town in ...

, while in 1966 became program director at Waycross Camp and Conference Centre. In 1968, he became associate rector of the Church of the Redeemer in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, and in 1972 he transferred to

Pulaski, Virginia Pulaski is a town in Pulaski County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,086 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pulaski County. Pulaski is part of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg metropolitan area. History Pulaski was incorpora ...

to serve as rector of Christ Church. Between 1980 and 1988 he served as associate rector of Christ Church in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

, before becoming vicar of the Chapel of Christ the King in

in 1988.

Bishop

Gloster was elected on the fourth ballot as Suffragan Bishop of North Carolina on March 23, 1996, in a special diocesan convention which was held at St Andrew's Church in

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the List of municipalitie ...

. He was consecrated on July 27, 1996, by Presiding Bishop

Edmond L. Browning Edmond Lee Browning (March 11, 1929 – July 11, 2016) was an American bishop. He was the 24th presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Education, ordination, early ministry Browning received his se ...

, at

Duke Chapel Duke University Chapel is a chapel located at the center of the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, United States. It is an ecumenical Christian or all-faith chapel and the center of religion at Duke, and has connections to th ...

. He retired in 2007 and then served at St Mary of the Hills in

Blowing Rock, North Carolina Blowing Rock is a town in Watauga County, North Carolina, Watauga and Caldwell County, North Carolina, Caldwell counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 1,376 at the 2020 census. The Caldwell County portion of Blowing Roc ...

References

1936 births Living people Episcopal Church in North Carolina Episcopal bishops of North Carolina {{US-Anglican-bishop-stub