James Monte Stanton (born October 29, 1946) was sixth bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Dallas The Episcopal Diocese of Dallas is a diocese of the Episcopal Church (United States) which was formed on December 20, 1895, when the Missionary District of Northern Texas was granted diocesan status at the denomination's General Convention the ...

, serving from 1993 to 2014.

Early life and education

Stanton was born on October 29, 1946, in

Atchison, Kansas Atchison is a city and county seat of Atchison County, Kansas, United States, along the Missouri River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 10,885. The city is named in honor of US Senator David Rice Atchison from Missouri an ...

. He was initially raised near

St. Joseph, Missouri St. Joseph is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri. Small parts of St. Joseph extend into Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includ ...

but in 1952 his family moved to southern California where he grew up and was educated. He studied at

Chapman University Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California. It encompasses ten schools and colleges, including Fowler School of Engineering, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Law, and Schmid College of Scie ...

and then sought ordination in the

Disciples of Christ The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...

. Consequently he attended

Lexington Theological Seminary Lexington Theological Seminary is a private Christian seminary in Lexington, Kentucky. Although it is related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), it is intentionally ecumenical with almost 50 percent of its enrollment coming from o ...

to pursue theological studies. He transferred to

Claremont School of Theology Claremont School of Theology (CST) is an American graduate school focused on religion and theology and located in Claremont, California. CST is fully recognized and approved as one of thirteen official theological schools of the United Methodis ...

, where he graduated with a

Doctor of Ministry The Doctor of Ministry (abbreviated DMin or D.Min.) is a professional doctorate, often including a research component, that may be earned by a minister of religion while concurrently engaged in some form of ministry. It is categorized as an advanced ...

in 1975. He also joined the Episcopal Church in 1975 and furthered his studies in the Episcopal ministry at the

Church Divinity School of the Pacific Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) is an Episcopal seminary in Berkeley, California. It one of nine seminaries U.S. Episcopal Church and a member of the Graduate Theological Union. The only Episcopal seminary located in the Far West, ...

between 1976 and 1977.

Ordained ministry

Stanton was ordained deacon by the Bishop of Los Angeles Robert C. Rusack in June 1977, and then priest in October 1977 by the Bishop of San Joaquin Victor Rivera. He served as curate at the Church of St Martin-in-Fields in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

between 1976 and 1977 and then as vicar of St Stephen's Mission in

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. Stockton was founded by Carlos Maria Weber in 1849 after he acquir ...

, between 1977 and 1981. In 1982, he became rector of St Luke's Church in

Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 40,713. It is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university. History Cedar Falls was first settled in March 1845 by ...

, where he remained until 1987. He returned to California in 1987 to serve as the rector of

St Mark's Church St. Mark's Church, or variations such as St. Mark Church or with Saint spelled out, may mean: Australia * St Mark's Anglican Church, Warwick, Queensland * St Mark's Church, Darling Point, New South Wales * Old St Mark's Anglican Church, Slacks ...

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

Bishop

Towards the end of 1992, Stanton was elected the 6th Bishop of Dallas, and 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 ...

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 ...

on March 6, 1993, at the

Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center is a concert hall located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas ( USA). Ranked one of the world's greatest orchestra halls, it was designed by architect I.M. Pei and acoustician Russell Johnson's ...

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 ...

. During his episcopacy, he managed the diocese through the changes undertaken within the Episcopal Church and successfully maintained unity within the diocese. He retired on May 31, 2014. He married Diane Louise Hanson in December 1968 and together had two children."Dallas Bishop James Stanton announces he will retire in May 2014"
''Episcopal News Service'', May 15, 2013. Retrieved on September 28, 2021.

References

Living people 1946 births American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Dallas Chapman University alumni {{US-Anglican-bishop-stub