Theophilus Herter
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Theophilus John Herter (June 5, 1913 – June 2, 1987) was an American
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
bishop. He was bishop of the New York and Philadelphia Synod in the
Reformed Episcopal Church The Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) is an Anglican Church. It was founded in 1873 in New York City by George David Cummins, a former bishop of the Episcopal Church (United States), Protestant Episcopal Church. The REC is a founding member of the ...
(REC) and also served as presiding bishop of the church.


Early life and education

Herter was born to John and Agnes Herter on June 5, 1913, in
Kessab Kessab ( ; ), also spelled Kesab or Kasab, is a town in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Latakia Governorate, located 59 kilometers north of Latakia. It is situated near the border with Turkey on the slope of Mount Aqraa, 800 me ...
in present-day
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
. John Herter was the director of a German-run orphanage in Kessab. He received his B.A. and his M.A. from
Haverford College Haverford College ( ) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Fr ...
in 1945 and 1947, respectively; his M.A. thesis was on Anglican and Presbyterian clergymen of
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
during the
American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
. Herter also obtained an M.Div. from Reformed Episcopal Seminary in 1943 and a Th.M. and Th.D. from
Westminster Theological Seminary Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian theology, theological seminary in the Reformed theology, Reformed theological tradition in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It was founded by members of the faculty of Prince ...
, where his dissertation was entitled "The Abrahamic Covenant in the Gospels." The dissertation was published under the same title in 1972.


Ordained ministry

Herter was ordained by Bishop Howard David Higgins to the diaconate on February 16, 1943, and to the presbyterate in the Reformed Episcopal Church on November 29, 1944. He began his ordained ministry as rector of St. Matthew's REC in Havertown, where he spent 17 years. He also taught New Testament studies at Reformed Episcopal Seminary starting in 1948, where he spent 36 years, the last 21 as professor of New Testament studies. In 1965, Herter was elected assistant bishop in the REC's New York and Philadelphia Synod and later
bishop coadjutor A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) ("co-assister" in Latin) is a bishop in the Latin Catholic, Anglican and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in administering the diocese. The coa ...
, succeeding Higgins as bishop ordinary in 1972. He was elected presiding bishop of the REC in 1975 and served for four three-year terms. He retired as bishop ordinary in 1984 and stepped down as presiding bishop in May 1987, shortly before his death on June 2.


Personal life

Herter married the former Ruth Birbeck (1910–2003) on June 14, 1941, and they were married until his death. They had one son, Philip, and two grandchildren.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Herter, Theophilus John 1913 births 1987 deaths 20th-century Anglican bishops in the United States Bishops of the Reformed Episcopal Church Reformed Episcopal Seminary faculty Reformed Episcopal Seminary alumni Haverford College alumni Westminster Theological Seminary alumni