Susan Bunton Haynes (born 1959) is the 11th bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America located in the southeast area of Virginia. It is in Province III (for the Middle Atlantic region). The diocese includes the Hampton Roa ...

, the first female bishop of the diocese.

Early and family life

Born in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

and raised in

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, she received a bachelor's degree from the

University of the South The University of the South, familiarly known as Sewanee (), is a private Episcopal liberal arts college in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is owned by 28 southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church, and its School of Theology is an official seminary of ...

in 1981 and a master's degree from

Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a public university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight undergraduate colleges as well as a college of graduate studies, together off ...

in 1989 and M.Div. from

Vanderbilt University Divinity School The Vanderbilt Divinity School and Graduate Department of Religion (usually Vanderbilt Divinity School) is an interdenominational divinity school at Vanderbilt University, a major research university located in Nashville, Tennessee. It is one of o ...

in 1993. She married fellow Floridian Thomas E. Haynes in 1982 and he taught at the

Culver Academies Culver Academies is a college preparatory boarding school located in Culver, Indiana, which is composed of three entities: Culver Military Academy (CMA) for boys, Culver Girls Academy (CGA), and the Culver Summer Schools and Camps (CSSC). Culve ...

before being ordained a priest in 2010 and serving as priest in charge of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Plymouth and pastor of St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church in Culver, both in

Marshall County, Indiana Marshall County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2020 recorded the population at 46,095. The county seat (and only city) is Plymouth. History The Indiana State Legislature passed an omnibus county bill on 7 February 1835 that a ...

. They have two children.

Ministry

Ordained as a deacon by Bishop Edward S. Little II of the Diocese of Northern Indiana on December 21, 2004, Haynes was ordained to the priesthood on June 24, 2005, and became an associate priest at St. James Cathedral in

South Bend South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

St. Joseph County, Indiana St. Joseph County, commonly called St. Joe County by residents, is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 272,912, making it the fifth-most populous county in Indiana. Formed in 1830, it was n ...

, rising to become the priest in charge before accepting a position as rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in

Mishawaka Mishawaka is a city on the St. Joseph River, in Penn Township, St. Joseph County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 51,063 as of the 2020 census. Its nickname is "the Princess City". Mishawaka is a principal city of the South Be ...

(also in St. Joseph County), where she served for 11 years. On September 21, 2019, Rev. Haynes was elected to become the 11th bishop of the Diocese of Southern Virginia, the seat having been vacant following the retirement of the Rt. Rev. Herman Hollerith IV in January 2019. Her ordination being scheduled to occur in Saint Bede Catholic Church resulted in controversy, as the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

does not recognize the Episcopal Church's ordinations nor the ordination of women. An invitation from the Catholic parish had been approved by

Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond The Diocese of Richmond ( la, Diœcesis Richmondiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. Its current territory encompasses all of central and southern Virginia, Hampton Roads, ...

Bishop Barry Knestout as an

ecumenical Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...

gesture. On 17 January 2020, the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia announced they were moving the ordination to Williamsburg Community Church, citing that the event was "causing dismay and distress" in the Saint Bede community and invoking the warning of

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

against "pursuing behavior that might cause problems for others within their community." Presiding Bishop Michael Curry presided at her consecration to the episcopate on February 1, 2020, in

Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula ...

and Bishop Edward S. Little II preached.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haynes, Susan Bunton 1959 births Living people Women Anglican bishops 21st-century Anglican bishops in the United States Episcopal bishops of Southern Virginia People from Tampa, Florida Sewanee: The University of the South alumni Middle Tennessee State University alumni Vanderbilt University alumni