Nathan Dwight Baxter (born November 16, 1948) is the 10th
bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
of the
Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania
The Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania is one of the dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. It was established in 1904 as the Diocese of Harrisburg, separating from the original Diocese of Central Pennsylvania ...
and the 1,010 in succession in the Episcopal Church. He was elected as bishop coadjutor on July 22, 2006, and consecrated on October 22, 2006. Baxter's friend Archbishop
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 193126 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop ...
preached the sermon.
Early life
Baxter, a
Harrisburg
Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...
native, was the oldest of three sons, Charles Wayne and Larry of Elder Belgium N. Baxter and Augusta Baxter. He is married to Mary Ellen Baxter (Walker), an educator with degrees from Hampton University and Harvard University. They have two children, two foster children, and nine grandchildren.
Education
He graduated from
Lancaster Theological Seminary
Lancaster Theological Seminary is a seminary of the United Church of Christ in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1825 by members of the German Reformed Church in the United States to provide theological education for prospective clergy a ...
in 1976 with honors and prizes in homiletics and Christology and earned a Doctor of Ministry there in 1985. Baxter has also completed programs at the
Graduate Theological Union
The Graduate Theological Union (GTU) is a consortium of eight private independent American Seminary, theological schools and eleven centers and affiliates. Seven of the theological schools are located in Berkeley, California. The GTU was founded ...
in
Berkeley, California
Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...
, the
Harvard Graduate School of Education
The Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) is the education school of Harvard University, a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1920, it was the first school to grant the EdD degree and the first ...
, and the Warren Deem Management Institute at the Columbia University Executive Center. Baxter has received numerous other honors from colleges, universities and seminaries including being named an honorary alumnus at the
Episcopal Divinity School
The Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) is an unaccredited theological school in New York City. Established to train people for ordination in the American Episcopal Church, the seminary eventually began training students from other denominations. T ...
1991, and receiving eight honorary doctorates
Dickinson College
Dickinson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1773 as Carlisle Grammar School, Dickinson was chartered on September 9, 1783, ...
,
Messiah College
Messiah University is a private interdenominational evangelical Christian university in Upper Allen Township, Pennsylvania, near Mechanicsburg.
History
The school was founded as "Messiah Bible School and Missionary Training Home" in 1909 by ...
,
Colgate University
Colgate University is a Private university, private college in Hamilton, New York, United States. The Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York ...
, St. Paul's College, York College,
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown College (informally Etown) is a private college in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.
History
Founding and early years
Elizabethtown College was founded in 1899 by members of the Church of the Brethren in response to an initiative by ...
,
Ohio Dominican University
Ohio Dominican University is a private Dominican university in Columbus, Ohio. In 2024, the university had 1,252 students and offered undergraduate degrees in 42 majors as well as 9 graduate degree programs.
History
The College of St. Mary ...
,
Lincoln University and the Presidential Medal from
Millersville University
Millersville University of Pennsylvania (commonly known as Millersville University, The Ville, or MU) is a public university in Millersville, Pennsylvania. It is one of the ten schools that comprise the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Educa ...
.
Career
Directly before being elected bishop, Baxter spent two-and-a-half years serving as the
rector of
St. James Episcopal Church in
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...
. A third-generation priest, he was dean of
Washington National Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Episcopal Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral or National Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church. The cathedral is located in Wa ...
from 1991 to 2003 and served as Chief Administrative Officer of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation. California Rep.
Barbara Lee
Barbara Jean Lee (; born July 16, 1946) is an American politician who has served as the 52nd mayor of Oakland since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Lee previously served as a United States House of Repr ...
credits Baxter's sermon at the September 14, 2001 memorial following the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, during which he warned Americans not to "become the evil we deplore," with cementing her decision to vote no on the
Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001
The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF; , ) is a joint resolution of the United States Congress which became law on September 18, 2001, authorizing the use of the United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the September ...
(Lee was the only member of Congress to vote no).
Before becoming dean of the cathedral, Baxter served as the administrative dean and associate professor of pastoral theology at
Episcopal Divinity School
The Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) is an unaccredited theological school in New York City. Established to train people for ordination in the American Episcopal Church, the seminary eventually began training students from other denominations. T ...
in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
, seminary dean and associate professor of church and ministry at
Lancaster Theological Seminary
Lancaster Theological Seminary is a seminary of the United Church of Christ in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1825 by members of the German Reformed Church in the United States to provide theological education for prospective clergy a ...
in
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...
, and chaplain and professor of religious studies at
St. Paul's College in Lawrenceville, Virginia. Baxter has also served at other parishes in Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Baxter is an associate of the
Order of the Holy Cross
The Order of the Holy Cross is an international Anglican monastic order that follows the Rule of St. Benedict.
History
The order was founded in 1884 by the Rev. James Huntington, an Episcopal priest, in New York City. The order moved to Ma ...
, chaplain of the Most Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Other memberships include
Sigma Pi Phi
Sigma Pi Phi (), also known as The Boulé, is an African American professional fraternity. Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1904, it is the oldest Greek lettered fraternity for African Americans. The fraternity does not have collegiate ...
fraternity, the Cosmos Club of Washington, and a life member of the
Union of Black Episcopalians
The Union of Black Episcopalians, formerly the Union of Black Clergy and Laity, is an organization of The Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church (TEC), also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA), i ...
and the
NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...
. Drafted in 1968, he is also a decorated U.S. Army veteran of the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, having received the
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry
The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry () is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal was created on August 15, 1 ...
with Palm and the
Combat Medical Badge
The Combat Medical Badge is an award of the United States Army which was created in January 1945. Any member of the Army Medical Department, at the rank of colonel or below, who is assigned or attached to a ground combat arms unit of brigade or s ...
.
He was selected to deliver the prayer for the nation at the
White House Millennium Celebration, which was televised internationally. He was acknowledged by Nancy Reagan for his leadership in planning the funeral of President Ronald Reagan.
Retirement
Baxter retired in May 2014 after serving as Bishop of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania for eight years. Following Baxter's retirement the Rt. Rev. Robert Gepert was named as provisional bishop of the diocese. On March 14, 2015, the Rev. Canon
Audrey Scanlan
Audrey Cady Scanlan (born ) is an American Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal bishop. She is the 11th and current bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania since September 12, 2015.
Personal life
Scanlan was born in New Y ...
was elected to become the next bishop of the diocese.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baxter, Nathan Dwight
Elizabethtown College alumni
Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania
Episcopal Divinity School alumni
Living people
Episcopal Divinity School faculty
1948 births
African-American Episcopalians
American Episcopalians
Harvard Graduate School of Education alumni
People from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Episcopal bishops of Central Pennsylvania