Alphonza Gadsden
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Alphonza Gadsden Sr. (born 1945) is an American
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
bishop. From 2007 to 2020, he was bishop ordinary of the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of the Southeast.


Biography

Gadsden was born to Silas and Leola Gadsden in
Russellville, South Carolina Russellville is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Berkeley County, South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Min ...
, and grew up in
St. Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...
in the Reformed Episcopal Church. He graduated from Russellville High School. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and reached the rank of sergeant. Gadsden received his undergraduate degree from
Limestone University Limestone University, formerly Limestone College, is a private Christian university in Gaffney, South Carolina. It was established in 1845 by Thomas Curtis, a distinguished scholar born and educated in England. Limestone was the first women's ...
, his M.Div. from
Cummins Theological Seminary The Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) is an Anglican church of evangelical Episcopalian heritage. It was founded in 1873 in New York City by George David Cummins, a former bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The REC is a founding member of ...
, and did doctoral work at Erskine Theological Seminary, and was awarded the Doctor of Divinity, ''honoris causa'' from the Theological Commission of the Reformed Episcopal Church. He is married to Hester Brown Gadsden. After his ordination, Gadsden served as vicar and rector of Liberty Reformed Episcopal Church in Jamestown, South Carolina. He later served as president of the Diocese of the Southeast's standing committee. While serving in ordained ministry, Gadsden had a 39-year career in the United States Postal Service and was the first black
postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...
in Kingstree, South Carolina. After the death of Bishop James C. West, Gadsden was elected bishop ordinary of the Diocese of the Southeast and consecrated by Leonard W. Riches on November 17, 2007. During his episcopacy, the diocese added eight clergy members, refurbished its properties, eliminated debts and added two additional parishes. In 2015, Gadsden hosted an Anglican Church in North America dialogue on racial reconciliation in the predominantly black Diocese of the Southeast. In 2020, Gadsden retired and was succeeded by William White as bishop ordinary.


References

1945 births Living people Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America 21st-century Anglican bishops in the United States Bishops of the Reformed Episcopal Church African-American Christian clergy {{anglican-bishop-stub