Stanley Hamilton Atkins (March 8, 1912 – January 6, 1996) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

prelate of the Episcopal Church, who served as the third Bishop Eau Claire, from 1970 till 1980.

Early life and education

Atkins was born in

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, on March 8, 1912, the son of George Thomas Atkins and Ethel Williams. He studied at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

and graduated in 1938. He was awarded a

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

from

Nashotah House Nashotah House is an Anglicanism, Anglican seminary in Nashotah, Wisconsin. The seminary opened in 1842 and received its official charter in 1847. The institution is independent and generally regarded as one of the more theologically Conservatism, ...

in 1969.

Ordained ministry

Atkins was ordained deacon on December 18, 1938, and priest on December 17, 1939, and served in the

Diocese of Durham The Diocese of Durham is a Church of England diocese, based in Durham, and covering the historic county of Durham (and therefore including the part of Tyne and Wear south of the River Tyne, and excluding southern Teesdale). It was created in AD ...

. He married Mildred Maureen March on May 5, 1942, and together had three children. In 1949, he left for

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and served in the

Diocese of Rupert's Land The Diocese of Rupert's Land is a diocese of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land of the Anglican Church of Canada. It is named for the historical British North American territory of Rupert's Land, which was contained within the origin ...

in the

Anglican Church of Canada The Anglican Church of Canada (ACC or ACoC) is the Ecclesiastical province#Anglican Communion, province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French-language name is ''l'Église anglicane du Canada''. In 2017, the Anglican Church co ...

. In 1955, he moved to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

to become rector of St Paul's Church in

Hudson, Wisconsin Hudson is a city in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, its population was 12,719. It is part of the Minneapolis–St. Paul Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The village of North Hudson is direct ...

and vicar of St Thomas' Church in

New Richmond, Wisconsin New Richmond is a city in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 10,079 as of the 2020 census. History New Richmond was founded in 1857. The first permanent settlement was established by Hiram Foster, who had led a group ...

. Atkins then became Archdeacon of Milwaukee, in the

Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee, originally the Diocese of Wisconsin is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America located in the southern area of Wisconsin. It is in Province V (for the Midwest region). The Rt. Reverend ...

, serving from 1962 till 1969.

Bishop

In 1969, Atkins was elected Coadjutor Bishop of Eau Claire, and was consecrated on August 2, 1969, in

Christ Church Cathedral, Eau Claire Christ Church Cathedral, built in 1916 to replace the earlier 1874 building, is the Episcopal cathedral in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It is the mother church for the Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire, the see of which is located in Eau Claire. The ...

. He succeeded as diocesan bishop on January 1, 1970. He was a leader in the movement opposing women's ordination in the Episcopal Church USA, and served as a trustee of

Theological Seminary as well as ''

The Living Church ''The Living Church'' is a magazine based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, providing commentary and news on the Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion. In continuous publication since 1878, it has generally been identified with the Anglo-Catho ...

'' magazine. Atkins retired as diocesan bishop in 1980, and was succeeded by

William C. Wantland William Charles Wantland (born April 14, 1934) is an American Anglican Bishop. He is a former Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire. Biography Wantland was born in Edmond, Oklahoma. He is of Seminole, Chickasaw and Choctaw descent. In 197 ...

References

The Theological Case Against Women's Ordination
by Stanley Atkins {{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Stanley Hamilton 1912 births 1996 deaths English emigrants to the United States 20th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Eau Claire 20th-century American bishops 20th-century American Episcopal priests