Granville Porter Taylor (born September 17, 1950) is the sixth and immediate past

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

Bishop of Western North Carolina. In March 2015 he announced his intent to retire. He was succeeded as bishop by the Rt. Rev.

José Antonio McLoughlin José Antonio McLoughlin (born May 21, 1969) is the seventh and current bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina, United States. After studies at Virginia Theological Seminary, he was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood in ...

. Taylor was appointed for a two-year term as Assisting Bishop in 2020 for the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia.

Biography

Taylor was born in Rock Hill,

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, but raised in Asheville,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

. He earned his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

in 1972, followed by a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in English from the University of South Carolina (1974) and a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and

Literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

from

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

(1983). In 1993, he received a

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 ...

from the University of the South, Sewanee and was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

. He was ordained a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

on April 13, 1994, and served seven years as

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

o
St. Gregory the Great Church
in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, Georgia. He was consecrated as the fifth

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the Diocese of Western North Carolina on September 18, 2004. The 999th bishop consecrated in the Episcopal Church, he was consecrated by Robert Carroll Johnson Jr.,

Robert Hodges Johnson Robert Hodges Johnson (born October 1, 1934) is an American prelate who served as the fifth Bishop of Western North Carolina in The Episcopal Church. Biography Johnson was born on October 1, 1934, in Jacksonville, Florida, the son of William We ...

, Frank Allan, Michael Curry, and

J. Neil Alexander John Neil Alexander (born January 23, 1954) is a bishop and the Custodian of the Standard Book of Common Prayer in The Episcopal Church. He is Professor of Liturgy, Emeritus, and Quintard Professor of Theology, Emeritus, in the School of Theolo ...

at the

Asheville Civic Center The Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville, previously known as the U.S. Cellular Center and originally as the Asheville Civic Center Complex, is a multipurpose entertainment center, located in Asheville, North Carolina. Opened in 1974, the compl ...

. He is the author of
To Dream as God Dreams: Sermons of Hope, Conversion, and Community
' and

'. He and his wife, Jo Abbott Taylor (a research

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

), married in 1972; they have two children, Arthur and Marie. Arthur achieved his graduate degree (Ph.D.) in psychology at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

, and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and two children. Bishop Taylor's daughter, Marie, who spent a year at Randolph College (formally Randolph-Macon Women's College), transferred and graduated from Western Carolina University, with a B.S. in Anthropology, and recently finished her master's degree in GIS from the University of Southern California. In 2016, Taylor was named the Visiting Professor of Episcopal Studies at Wake Forest University's School of Divinity.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, G. Porter 1950 births Living people People from Rock Hill, South Carolina People from Asheville, North Carolina Sewanee: The University of the South alumni University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni Writers from South Carolina Writers from North Carolina American Episcopal theologians American Christian writers Episcopal Church in North Carolina Episcopal bishops of Western North Carolina