George Edward Councell (October 4, 1949 – May 21, 2018) was the 11th

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 Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey and the 990th in succession in the Episcopal Church.

Biography

George Edward Councell was born in Detroit and baptized in St. John's Episcopal Church in Royal Oak, Michigan in 1949. He was raised in Whittier, California where he attended public schools. He was elected bishop on May 3, 2003, and consecrated on October 18, 2003, at Trinity Cathedral in Trenton. Officially, Councell followed

Joe Morris Doss Joe Morris Doss (born March 29, 1943) served as the 10th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey from 1995 to 2001. He was elected bishop coadjutor in June 1993 and became bishop diocesan in 1995 following the retirement of G. P. Mellick Bel ...

as Bishop of New Jersey after Doss was forced to resign amidst controversy.

David B. Joslin David Bruce Joslin (born January 8, 1936) was bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York from 1992 to 2000. Biography Joslin was born in Collingswood, New Jersey, son of a Methodist minister and his wife, and raised in Linwood, New Jer ...

(retired

Bishop of Central New York The Episcopal Diocese of Central New York is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America encompassing the area in the center of New York state. It is one of ten dioceses, plus the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, ...

) served as assisting bishop while the diocese organized to elect its 11th bishop (i.e. Councell). Before his election, Councell spent eight years serving as the

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 ...

of the Church of the Holy Spirit in

Lake Forest, Illinois Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 19,367. The city is along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest ...

. From 1986 to 1995 Councell served as canon to the ordinary in 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 ...

following eight years as vicar at St. George's Church in

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...

. Councell also served on the Standing Committee of the

Episcopal Diocese of Chicago The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago is the official organization of the Episcopal Church in Chicago and Northern Illinois, US. The diocese is headed by Bishop Paula Clark, who is the first woman and first African-American to lead the diocese. ...

(2002-2003), as a trustee to Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, President of the board of Episcopal Charities and Community Services in the

(1996-2002), Deputy and Chair of deputation to General Convention in the

(1991, 1994), Secretary of Convention,

(1988-1993), a member of Executive Committee of the Alumni/Alumnae Association, Episcopal Divinity School (1988-1992), chair of the Committee for the Future, chaplain and member of the Board of Directors Riverside Hospice,

Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles is a community of 48,874 Episcopalians in 147 congregations, 40 schools, and 18 major institutions, spanning all of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties, and part of Rive ...

(1982-1984). Councell graduated from the University of California at Riverside

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

with honors with a Bachelor of Arts in 1971. In 1975 he earned 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 Episcopal Divinity School in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

. Councell was ordained a priest in 1975 in the

. Councell lived in Pennington, New Jersey with his wife, Ruth May Tietjen, an artist and illustrator. They have two grown children: Sarah Councell Turner who graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary with a Master of Theological Studies degree and now working for

Bread for the World Bread for the World is a non-partisan, Christian advocacy organization based in the United States that advocates for policy changes to end hunger. Bread for the World provides resources to help individuals advocate to end hunger, which might inc ...

in Washington, D.C., an
Martha Councell
a professional flutist. Councell retired from his position as

in 2013. His successor, the Right Rev. William (Chip) Stokes, was consecrated in November 2013. From January 2014 until his death, Councell served as resident Chaplain of Doane Academy, an Episcopal college preparatory school in Burlington, New Jersey. He taught courses on Ethics and World Religions.

References

External links

Bishop Councell biographical page

Diocese of New Jersey death notice
{{DEFAULTSORT:Councell, George Edward 1949 births Clergy from Detroit People from Pennington, New Jersey 21st-century Anglican bishops in the United States University of California, Riverside alumni Episcopal Divinity School alumni 2018 deaths Episcopal bishops of New Jersey