John Boyd Bentley (February 9, 1896 – June 12, 1989) was the second bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Alaska The Episcopal Diocese of Alaska is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the state of Alaska. Established in 1895, it has the largest geographical reach of any diocese in the Episcopal Church, ...

. He served as diocesan from 1943 to 1948.

Early life and education

Bentley was born in Hampton, Virginia on February 9, 1896, to Charles Headley Bentley and Susan Elizabeth Cake. He was educated in Hampton High School and the

United States Army Field Artillery School The United States Army Field Artillery School (USAFAS) trains Field Artillery Soldiers and Marines in tactics, techniques, and procedures for the employment of fire support systems in support of the maneuver commander. The school further develo ...

. He graduated from the

College of William & Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William I ...

in 1919. He acquired a doctorate in Divinity from

Virginia Theological Seminary Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), formally called the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, located at 3737 Seminary Road in Alexandria, Virginia is the largest and second oldest accredited Episcopal seminary in the Unit ...

in 1932 and a doctorate in Sacred Theology from

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 ...

in 1948.

Ordination

Bentley was ordained deacon in 1922 by

Peter Trimble Rowe Peter Trimble Rowe (November 20, 1856 – June 1, 1942) was a Canadian prelate who served for decades as the first bishop of the American Episcopal Diocese of Alaska. Early life and education Peter Rowe was born in Meadowvale, Toronto Township, ...

, the Bishop of Alaska. His first appointment was as a missionary at Christ Church in

Anvik, Alaska Anvik ( Deg Xinag: ) is a city, home to the Deg Hit'an people, in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. The name Anvik, meaning "exit" in the Central Alaskan Yup'ik language, became the common usage despite multiple names at the ...

where he served between 1921 and 1925. In 1926 he returned to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and served as assistant at

Bruton Parish Church Bruton Parish Church is located in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1674 by the consolidation of two previous parishes in the Virginia Colony, and remains an active Epi ...

. In June 1929 he was ordained priest by Henry St. George Tucker, Bishop of Virginia. He remained in Williamsburg until 1930 when he was appointed Archdeacon of the Yukon.

Bishop

On September 25, 1931, he was elected Suffragan Bishop of Alaska by the House of Bishops in a sessions of the General Convention in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

. He was consecrated by Presiding Bishop James De Wolf Perry on September 29, 1931, in the

Cathedral of St. John in the Wilderness Saint John's Cathedral in Denver, Colorado, United States is the seat of the bishop and the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado and part of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Construction began in 1909, the first service held ...

. His co-consecrators were Bishop

of Alaska and Bishop Arthur C. Thompson of Southern Virginia. He was presented by Bishop Henry St. George Tucker of Virginia and Bishop

Robert Carter Jett Robert Carter Jett (May 10, 1865 – August 9, 1950) was bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia from 1920 to 1938. Early life and education Jett was born May 10, 1865, in King George County, Virginia, the son of William New ...

of Southwestern Virginia. Upon Bishop Rowe's death in June 1942, Bentley was appointed as Bishop-in-charge until a successor could be elected. In 1943 he was elected as Rowe's successor. He remained Bishop of Alaska until 1948 when he was appointed vice president of the Episcopal Church Executive Council and director of the overseas department, a post he held until 1964."Guide to the John Boyd Bentley autographed letters"
''Consortium Library''. Retrieved on 04 September 2018.

Personal life

Bentley married Elvira Wenworth Carr on May 29, 1921. He died in Hampton, Virginia in 1989.

References

External links