Stacy Fred Sauls (born December 9, 1955) was the sixth
Bishop of Lexington, serving from 2000 to 2011. He then served as chief operating officer of the Episcopal Church from September 1, 2011, to 2016.
Early life and education
Sauls was born on December 9, 1955, in
Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Kenneth Sauls and Joyce Ballard. He was raised in the
United Methodist Church. He was educated at Headland High School and graduated in 1973. He then attended
Furman University
Furman University is a private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826 and named for the clergyman Richard Furman, Furman University is the oldest private institution of higher learning in South Carolina. It became ...
and graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1977. On August 11, 1979, he married Ginger Malone and together had two sons. He also studied at the
University of Virginia School of Law, and graduated in 1980. He then became a member of the
Order of the Coif. After graduation, he accepted a federal court clerkship and practiced in the corporate law department of
Delta Air Lines. In 1985, he entered the
General Theological Seminary and earned his
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 ...
in 1988.
Ordained ministry
Sauls was ordained deacon on June 11, 1988, at
St. Philip's Cathedral in
Atlanta, Georgia, and priest on April 6, 1989, at
St. George's Church in
Griffin, Georgia, on both occasions by Bishop
Frank Allan of Atlanta. He served as assistant at St. George's Church, before becoming rector of St. Thomas' Church in
Savannah, Georgia, in 1990. After four year, in 1994, he became rector of
St. Bartholomew's Church in
Atlanta, Georgia.
Bishop
On June 3, 2000, Sauls was elected on the second ballot as Bishop of Lexington, during the 104th diocesan convention. He was consecrated on September 30, 2000, in the Roman Catholic
Cathedral of Christ the King,
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...
, due to its large capacity. He was consecrated by the Bishop of Western North Carolina,
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 ...
.
In 2011, Sauls resigned his post in Lexington and became Chief Operating Officer for the Episcopal Church. He was placed on administrative leave during a financial misconduct investigation that took place in December 2015. In April 2016, he was exonerated of the allegations; however, he was forced to resign his post.
Honors
Sauls was appointed Officer to the
Order of St John in 2013 and promoted Commander in 2017.
References
External links
Diocese of Lexington news stories
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sauls, Stacy F.
1955 births
Living people
Clergy from Atlanta
Furman University alumni
University of Virginia School of Law alumni
General Theological Seminary alumni
Converts to Anglicanism from Methodism
Episcopal bishops of Lexington