Robert Hitchcock Spain (October 26, 1925 – September 9, 2022) was an American bishop of the United Methodist Church who was elected in 1988.

Birth and family

Spain was born in

Loretto, Tennessee Loretto is a city in Lawrence County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,714 at the 2010 census, and 1,739 at the 2020 census. History Loretto began as a stagecoach station known as "Glen Rock" in the early 19th century. In 1870, a ...

, on October 26, 1925, the son of James Thomas and Grace (Hitchcock) Spain. His parents were both public

educators A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

. He married Syble Mink of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, May 14, 1948. They have two children, Mrs. Philip (Mollie) Johnston, and John Philip Spain. They also have five grandchildren.

Military service and education

At the age of seventeen, Spain joined the U.S. Navy, serving in the

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

until the end of World War II. He then began his education in Pre-med at the University of Tennessee. Upon changing his life's direction into

ordained ministry 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 vario ...

, he entered the University of North Alabama, from which he earned a B.A. degree. Robert then earned the

M.Div. 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 di ...

degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and an M.A. from

Scarritt College Scarritt College (founded in 1878 at Neosho, Missouri) began as the Neosho Male and Female Seminary. In 1887 it was reconstituted as the Scarritt Collegiate Institute. History Opening its doors on September 2, 1878, the school's first home was ins ...

. He also received an Honorary Doctorate from Lambuth College.

Ordained ministry

While a student, Rev. Spain pastored a circuit of five churches in

Wayne County, Tennessee Wayne County is a county located in south central Tennessee, along the Alabama border. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,021. Its county seat is Waynesboro. The county is named after General "Mad Anthony" Wayne, a prominent milita ...

; a station church in Spring Hill; and was the Conference Director of Youth Work. Rev. Spain was ordained deacon in 1953 and

elder An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority. Elder or elders may refer to: Positions Administrative * Elder (administrative title), a position of authority Cultural * North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and tr ...

in 1954, both times by Bishop Roy H. Short. Following Divinity School, Rev. Spain served four successive appointments: Livingston, Lebanon, Belle Meade in Nashville, and Brentwood. Spain served as the superintendent of the

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

District, from 1978 to 1983. He was always an active participant in his

Annual Conference A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main pu ...

and the General Church. Spain was elected a delegate to the General Conference of the

U.M. Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelic ...

five consecutive quadrennia, being the first elected the last four of them. He served eight years on the General Board of Church and Society, eight years on the General Board of Publications, and four years on the General Council on Ministries. He was a reserve member of the Judicial Council, as well.

Episcopal ministry

Spain was elected to the episcopacy of the U.M. Church by the 1988 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference. He was consecrated to this office on July 16, 1988. Present at his consecration was Bishop Roy H. Short, who had ordained him 30+ years earlier. Upon his election and consecration, Bishop Spain was assigned to the Louisville Episcopal Area (1988–92), serving as Presiding Bishop of the Louisville and Kentucky Annual Conferences, and of the Red Bird Missionary Conference (located in southeastern Kentucky). Upon his retirement August 1992, Bishop Spain taught clergy and laity through the ''Focus on Ministry'' seminar, sponsored by the

United Methodist Publishing House Abingdon Press is the book publishing arm of the United Methodist Publishing House which publishes sheet music, Minister (Christianity), ministerial resources, Bible-study aids, and other items, often with a focus on Methodism and Methodists. H ...

in Nashville. Upon the death of Bishop Joseph B. Bethea in South Carolina, the Southeastern Jurisdictional College of Bishops assigned Bishop Spain to the South Carolina Conference until August 1996.

Death

Spain died on September 9, 2022, at the age of 96.

References

External links

Photo of Bishop Spain
*InfoServ, the official information service of The United Methodist Church.

*The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Churc

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spain, Robert Hitchcock 1925 births 2022 deaths

Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy sailors People from Lawrence County, Tennessee Military personnel from Tennessee