Alex Dockery Dickson Jr. (September 9, 1926 – November 14, 2021) was an American Anglican bishop. He was first bishop of the
Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee, serving from 1983 to 1994. He was Bishop in Residence in the
Anglican Diocese of South Carolina at the
Anglican Church in North America in his last years.
Early life and education
Dickson was born on September 9, 1926, in
Alligator, Mississippi, the son of Alex Dockery Dickson and Georgie Maude Wicks. He studied at the
University of Mississippi and graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts in 1949. he then enrolled at the
University of the South and earned 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 divi ...
in 1958.
Ordained ministry
Dickson was ordained deacon on May 31, 1958, by Bishop
Duncan Montgomery Gray Sr. of Mississippi. He was ordained priest on December 1, 1958, by the same bishop. In 1958, he also became vicar of St Paul's Church in
Hollandale, Mississippi. In 1962, he became rector of St Columb's Church in
Jackson, Mississippi. Dickson became
headmaster of
All Saints' Episcopal School
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All a ...
in
Vicksburg, Mississippi, from 1968 till 1983. He lived on campus with his first wife and family until his resignation. He was instrumental in building student enrolment. The school closed in 2006.
Bishop
On January 22, 1983, Dickson was elected after 33 ballots, as the first Bishop of West Tennessee in
St Mary's Cathedral,
Memphis, Tennessee. He was
consecrated
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
on April 9, 1983, at the
Memphis Cook Convention Center, by Presiding Bishop
John Allin
John Maury Allin (April 22, 1921 – March 6, 1998) was an American Episcopalian bishop who served as the 23rd Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church from 1974 to 1985.
Early life
Allin was born in Helena, Arkansas. He graduated from the Un ...
(Allin was Dickson's ecclesiastical superior in Mississippi for some years). He retired on September 30, 1994.
Retirement
After his retirement, he started doing missionary work in Southeast Asia and Africa. He was a theological conservative critical of the Episcopal Church's departures from traditional Christian teachings on human sexuality. He was involved in the
Anglican realignment and participated in the consecration of the first two bishops of the
Anglican Mission in the Americas
The Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA) or The Anglican Mission (AM) is a self-governing church inheriting its doctrine and form of worship from the Episcopal Church in the United States (TEC) and Anglican Church of Canada with members and chu ...
, in 2000. He was Bishop in Residence at St. Michael’s Church, in
Charleston
Charleston most commonly refers to:
* Charleston, South Carolina
* Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital
* Charleston (dance)
Charleston may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Charleston, South Australia
Canada
* Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
, in the
Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, member of the
Anglican Church in North America, at the time of his death, aged 95 years old.
Personal life
Dickson married Charnelle Perkins on October 7, 1948. Together they had three sons: Alex, Charles, and John. Charnelle died on October 16, 1995. He later married Jane Graham Carver on January 2, 1999. Dickson died on November 14, 2021, at the age of 95. He was predeceased by his son, Alex.
The Rt. Rev. Alex D. Dickson, Jr. – September 9, 1926 – November 14, 2021
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References
;Footnotes
;Sources
*''Episcopal Clerical Directory'' (1998)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dickson, Alex D.
1926 births
2021 deaths
Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America
Episcopal bishops of West Tennessee
People from Bolivar County, Mississippi
Sewanee: The University of the South alumni
University of Mississippi alumni