Randolph Royall Claiborne Jr. (November 7, 1906 – February 22, 1986) was the 5th

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 Atlanta The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, with jurisdiction over middle and north Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is in Province 4 of the Episcopal Church in the United States of ...

, elected in 1952. Previously he had served as

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 ...

Suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

in the

Episcopal Diocese of Alabama The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama is located in Province IV of the Episcopal Church and serves the state of Alabama with the exception of the extreme southern region, including Mobile, which forms part of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast ...

Background

Randolph was born November 7, 1906, to the Reverend Randolph Royall Claiborne, vicar of the Episcopal Church in

Farmville, Virginia Farmville is a town in Prince Edward County, Virginia, Prince Edward and Cumberland County, Virginia, Cumberland counties in the U.S. state, Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Prince Edward County, Virginia, Prince Edward County. ...

, and Mary Thomas Clark. The Claiborne family moved to

Marietta, Georgia Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 60,972. The 2019 estimate was 60,867, making it one of Atlanta's largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth largest ...

, where Randolph Sr. would serve as Rector at St James' Church. Randolph Jr. attended the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

, receiving his bachelor's degree in 1928. He then attended

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 ...

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

, receiving 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 1931. He was ordained deacon in June 1931 by Bishop Gravatt and priest in January 1932 by Bishop Mikell. From 1932 to 1938, he served as Rector of St James' Church,

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Situated near the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is southeast of Atlanta and near the ...

. From there he moved to Church of the Nativity in

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is the List of municipalities in Alabama, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the List of United States cities by population, 100th-most populous ...

, serving from 1938 to 1949 as rector. In 1949, he was elected bishop suffragan of

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. In 1952, he was chosen to serve as the fifth bishop of Atlanta. He was installed as diocesan bishop at a service held in St. Peter's Church in Rome, Georgia. According to C.J. Wyatt's history of St. Peter's Church this was so that he could say he had been consecrated at "St. Peter's in Rome." Bishop Clairborne told the Annual Council Meeting of the diocese that met the weekend of his consecration of his connections to the previous bishops. Wyatt writes:

"Every Bishop of Atlanta had been my friend." Bishop Nelson had often visited his home during the Georgia ministry of his father; Bishop Mikell had been "an inspiration during the days of my youth" and later. Bishop Walker was the examining chaplain who certified him for ordination. Bishop Walthour "became my friend during the years in which we both took Holy Orders."Upon This Rock: 150 Years in the Life of St. Peter's Church, Rome, Georgia by Dr. C. J. Wyatt Jr. St. Peter's Church: Rome, GA (1994).

He married Clara Virginia Kinney Stribling on June 9, 1953. Bishop Claiborne retired in 1972, and was given the title "Bishop Emeritus" in honor of his 20-year service to the diocese.

Consecrators

* Henry St. G. Tucker,

19th 19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number. Mathematics Nineteen is the eighth prime number. Number theory 19 forms a twin prime with 17, a cousin prime with 23, and a sexy prime with 13. ...

Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church * Charles C. J. Carpenter 6th

* Noble C. Powell, 9th

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

Randolph Claiborne was the 489th bishop consecrated in the Episcopal Church.

References

Atlanta Diocese Centennial History
page on Bishop Claiborne. * ''The Episcopal Church Annual''. Morehouse Publishing: New York, NY (2005). * Upon This Rock: 150 Years in the Life of St. Peter's Church, Rome, Georgia by Dr. C. J. Wyatt Jr. St. Peter's Church: Rome, GA (1994). {{DEFAULTSORT:Claiborne, Randolph Royall Jr. 1906 births 1986 deaths People from Huntsville, Alabama People from Macon, Georgia People from Farmville, Virginia Episcopal bishops of Atlanta University of Virginia alumni Virginia Theological Seminary alumni 20th-century American Episcopal priests

Background

Consecrators

See also

References