Ronald Hayward Haines (April 14, 1934 – March 21, 2008) was bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Washington The Episcopal Diocese of Washington is a diocese of the Episcopal Church covering Washington, D.C., and nearby counties of Maryland in the United States. With a membership of over 38,000, the diocese is led by the bishop of Washington, Mariann ...

from 1990 to 2000.

Early life and education

Haines was born on April 14, 1934, in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

, and grew up in

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. He graduated with a

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in engineering from the

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in 1956. He later worked as an engineer with the old Reynolds Metal Co. in

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. In 1962 he joined another metals engineering firm in

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. After growing interest in the ordained ministry, Haines enrolled in the George Mercer, Jr. Memorial School of Theology. He also earned a

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 1967 and a

Master of Sacred Theology Master of Theology (, abbreviated ThM, MTh or MTheol, or ''Sacrae Theologiae Magister''; abbreviated STM) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a ...

in 1978, both from the

General Theological Seminary The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating ...

Ordination

Haines was ordained deacon in June 1966 and priest in June 1967 by Bishop Jonathan G. Sherman. He was first assigned to the Church of St Paul in the

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from 1967 until 1968, after which he became rector the Church of St Francis in

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. In 1981 he became the deputy of the Bishop of Western North Carolina.

Bishop

In 1986, Haines was elected Suffragan Bishop of Washington. He was consecrated on October 29, 1986, by Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning. After the death of Bishop John T. Walker in 1989, Haines served as

Pro tempore ''Pro tempore'' (), abbreviated ''pro tem'' or ''p.t.'', is a Latin phrase which best translates to 'for the time being' in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a '' locum tenens'' ('placeholder'). The phrase is ...

bishop until a successor was elected. He himself was elected on June 30, 1990. He was installed as diocesan bishop on November 15, 1990. Among his many achievements as Bishop of Washington, Haines is mostly remembered for ordaining the Reverend Elizabeth L. Carl, an openly lesbian woman, to the priesthood on June 5, 1991."Lesbian ordained Episcopal priest"
''

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'', New York, 06 June 1991. Retrieved on 10 January 2019. He was vocal regarding inclusion of sexual minorities and was a critic of racism, describing it as one of the greatest sins on modern America. He was also the first Bishop to nominate a woman, the Reverend

Jane Dixon Jane Holmes Dixon (born Jane Hart Holmes; July 24, 1937 – December 25, 2012) was an American bishop of the Episcopal Church. She was a suffragan bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and served as Bishop of Washington ''pro tempore' ...

, to serve as Suffragan Bishop of Washington; she was the second woman to be consecrated a Bishop in the Episcopal Church. Haines retired on December 31, 2000. He died on March 21, 2008, 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 ...

Personal life

Haines married Mary T. Terrell in 1957 and together had 4 children.

References

*''Episcopal Clerical Directory'' 2008

External links

Ronald H. Haines, the seventh Bishop of Washington, dies at 73
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haines, Ronald H. 1934 births 2008 deaths American Episcopalians General Theological Seminary alumni 20th-century Anglican bishops in the United States Clergy from Wilmington, Delaware People from New Castle, Delaware Religious leaders from Delaware University of Delaware alumni 20th-century American engineers Engineers from Delaware Episcopal bishops of Washington