Stanley Hamilton Atkins (March 8, 1912 – January 6, 1996) was an

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prelate of the Episcopal Church, who served as the third Bishop of Eau Claire, from 1970 till 1980.

Early life and education

Atkins was born in

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, on March 8, 1912, the son of George Thomas Atkins and Ethel Williams. He studied at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

and graduated in 1938. He was awarded a

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...

from

Nashotah House Nashotah House is an Anglican seminary in Nashotah, Wisconsin. The seminary opened in 1842 and received its official charter in 1847. The institution is independent and generally regarded as one of the more theologically conservative seminaries ...

in 1969.

Ordained ministry

Atkins was ordained deacon on December 18, 1938, and priest on December 17, 1939, and served in the

Diocese of Durham The diocese of Durham is a diocese of the Church of England in North East England. The boundaries of the diocese are the historic boundaries of County Durham, meaning it includes the part of Tyne and Wear south of the River Tyne and contemporary ...

. He married Mildred Maureen March on May 5, 1942, and together had three children. In 1949, he left for

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and served in the

Diocese of Rupert's Land The Diocese of Rupert's Land is a diocese of the Ecclesiastical Province of the Northern Lights of the Anglican Church of Canada. It is named for the historical British North American territory of Rupert's Land, which was contained within the ...

in the

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. In 1955, he moved to the

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to become rector of St Paul's Church in

Hudson, Wisconsin Hudson is a city in and the county seat of St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 14,755. It is part of the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. History Several Li ...

and vicar of St Thomas' Church in

New Richmond, Wisconsin New Richmond is a city in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 10,079 as of the 2020 census. New Richmond is within the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. History New Richmond was founded in 1857. The first pe ...

. Atkins then became Archdeacon of Milwaukee, in the

Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee The Episcopal Diocese of Wisconsin, originally the Diocese of Wisconsin and later the Diocese of Milwaukee, is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America located in the state of Wisconsin. It is in Province V (for the Midw ...

, serving from 1962 till 1969.

Bishop

In 1969, Atkins was elected Coadjutor Bishop of Eau Claire, and was consecrated on August 2, 1969, in Christ Church Cathedral, Eau Claire. He succeeded as diocesan bishop on January 1, 1970. He was a leader in the movement opposing women's ordination in the Episcopal Church USA, and served as a trustee of

Theological Seminary as well as ''

The Living Church ''The Living Church'' is a magazine based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, providing commentary and news on the Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion. It is the flagship publication of The Living Church Foundation. In continuous publication ...

'' magazine. Atkins retired as diocesan bishop in 1980, and was succeeded by William C. Wantland.

References

The Theological Case Against Women's Ordination
by Stanley Atkins {{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Stanley Hamilton 1912 births 1996 deaths English emigrants to the United States 20th-century American Episcopal priests 20th-century Anglican bishops in the United States Episcopal bishops of Eau Claire