Andrew Frederick Wissemann (June 9, 1928 – August 20, 2014) was the sixth bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts The Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the five western counties of Massachusetts. Formed from a division of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, it was officia ...

1984 to 1992. He was a graduate of

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...

and Union Theological Seminary, New York.

Early life and education

Wissemann was born on June 9, 1928, in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and raised in Hartsdale, New York. He was educated at White Plains High School and

before commencing theological studies at the Union Theological Seminary. He continued his studies at

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

and graduated with a Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 1953. That same year he married Nancy Whittemore, daughter of the Bishop of Western Michigan Lewis Bliss Whittemore.

Ordination

Wissemann was ordained deacon on May 31, 1953, and served as curate of Christ Church in

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...

. He was ordained priest in December 1953. He was appointed rector of Christ Church in

Unionville, Connecticut Farmington is a town in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 26,712 at the 2020 census. It sits 10 miles west of Hartford at the hub of major I-84 interchanges, 20 miles s ...

and later rector of St James’ in Greenfield, Massachusetts between 1960 and 1968, and finally rector of St Stephen's Church in

Pittsfield, Massachusetts Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfield� ...

between 1968 and 1983.

Bishop

Wissemann was elected Bishop of Western Massachusetts in December 1983 and was consecrated on April 7, 1984, by the 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 ...

. He remained in that position until 1992 when he retired. He was well renowned for his pastoral style with which he led the diocese. Wissemann died on August 20, 2014, in

Longmeadow, Massachusetts Longmeadow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, in the United States. The population was 15,853 at the 2020 census. History Longmeadow was first settled in 1644, and officially incorporated October 17, 1783. The town was originally farm ...

External links

Obituary
from Episcopal News Service
Diocesan press release
1928 births 2014 deaths 20th-century Anglican bishops in the United States Clergy from New York City People from Hartsdale, New York Wesleyan University alumni Union Theological Seminary (New York City) alumni Episcopal bishops of Western Massachusetts {{US-Anglican-bishop-stub