John Maury Allin (April 22, 1921 – March 6, 1998) was an American Episcopal bishop who served as the 23rd Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church from 1974 to 1985.

Early life

Allin was born in Helena,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

. He graduated from

the University of the South The University of the South, familiarly known as Sewanee (), is a private Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Sewanee, Tennessee, Sewanee, Tennessee, United States. It ...

at Sewanee, Tennessee, and its

divinity school A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

, then called St. Luke's Seminary, in 1945. He received a

Master of Education The Master of Education (MEd or M.Ed. or Ed.M.; Latin ''Magister Educationis'' or ''Educationis Magister'') is a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum an ...

degree in 1962 from

Mississippi College Mississippi College (MC) is a private university affiliated with the Mississippi Baptist Convention and located in Clinton, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1826, MC is the second oldest Baptists, Baptist-affiliated college or university in ...

Clinton, Mississippi Clinton is a List of cities in Mississippi, city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. Situated in the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area, Jackson metropolitan area, it is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, 10th most populous c ...

. He was ordained deacon on June 6, 1944, and priest on May 10, 1945. He served churches in Arkansas and Louisiana before becoming rector of All Saints' Junior College in

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat. The population was 21,573 at the 2020 census. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vicksburg ...

, in 1958, a post he retained till 1961.

Bishop of Mississippi

He was bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Mississippi, with his consecration taking place at St. James Church in Jackson,

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, from 1961 to 1966. He was elected bishop in 1966 and would serve until 1974. He was involved in the Civil Rights Movement, helping to create the Committee of Concern, an alliance of ecumenical and civic leaders that helped rebuild more than 100 black churches that had been bombed by white supremacists in Mississippi.

Presiding Bishop

He served until he was elected Presiding Bishop in 1974, as the "most conservative" of five candidates. In 1978, he offered to resign because of his opposition as a theological conservative to

women's ordination The ordination of women to ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain religious groups in which ordination was traditionally res ...

, but he was persuaded to remain in office. He was the last Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church to have opposed women's ordination and held a

pro-life Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in response to the lega ...

stance. He retired in 1985.

Retirement and personal life

After his term as Presiding Bishop, Allin was vicar at St. Ann's Episcopal Church in Kennebunkport, Maine, where his friend

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

was on the vestry. He was married to Ann; the couple had one son and three daughters. Allin died in Jackson, Mississippi on March 6, 1998, aged 76.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allin, John Maury 1921 births 1998 deaths Mississippi College alumni Presiding Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America Sewanee: The University of the South alumni People from Helena, Arkansas 20th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Mississippi 20th-century American Episcopal priests

Early life

Bishop of Mississippi

Presiding Bishop

Retirement and personal life

See also

References