Winslow Robert Chilton Powell (March 11, 1912 - December 31, 1994) was an American prelate of the Episcopal Church who served as the second Bishop of Oklahoma from 1953 to 1977.

Early life and education

Powell was born on March 11, 1912, in

Devils Lake, North Dakota Devils Lake is a city in Ramsey County, North Dakota, Ramsey County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Ramsey County. The population was 7,192 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is named after the nearby body o ...

, to Albert Morrell Powell and Elsie Maria Mooers. He studied at

Carleton College Carleton College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. Founded in 1866, it had 2,105 undergraduate students and 269 faculty members in fall 2016. The 200-acre main campus is between Northfield and the 800-acre Cowling ...

and graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in 1934 and awarded an honorary

Doctor of Law A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL ...

in 1960. He also earned a

Master of Sacred Theology The Master of Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Magister; abbreviated STM) is a graduate-level, North American, academic degree in theology equivalent to ThM. The Roman Catholic equivalent is the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL). An ho ...

in 1938, and an honorary

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 ...

in 1953 from

Seabury-Western Theological Seminary Seabury-Western Theological Seminary (SWTS) was a seminary of the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church, located in Evanston, Illinois. It ceased operations as a residential seminary granting the Master of Divinity degree in May 201 ...

Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City University (OCU) is a private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The university offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, graduate master's degrees and doctor ...

awarded him a

Doctor of Sacred Theology The Doctor of Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Doctor, abbreviated STD), also sometimes known as Professor of Sacred Theology (, abbreviated STP), is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church, ...

in 1968.

Ordained ministry

Powell was ordained

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

in April 1938 and

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

in November the same year by Bishop Douglass H. Atwill of North Dakota. He initially served as deacon-in-charge, and later as priest-in-charge of St James' Church in

Grafton, North Dakota Grafton is a city in the State of North Dakota and is the county seat of Walsh County. As of the 2020 Census, the city of Grafton had a population of 4,170, making it the fifteenth largest city in North Dakota. Grafton was founded in 1881. Hi ...

, St Peter's Church in

Park River, North Dakota Park River is a city in Walsh County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 1,424 at the 2020 census. Park River was founded in 1884. In 1903, a Park River blacksmith named Samuel Holland built a motor car called the Holland Special. H ...

, St Luke's Church in Walshville, and the Church of the Redeemer in

Bathgate, North Dakota Bathgate is a city in Pembina County, North Dakota, United States. It sits on the banks of the Tongue River. The population was 47 at the 2020 census. Bathgate was founded in 1881. In 1908, the North Dakota School for the Blind was placed in ...

. In 1940, he became curate at

Gethsemane Church Gethsemane Church (german: link=no, Gethsemanekirche) is one of four church buildings of the Lutheran Northern Prenzlauer Berg Evangelical Congregation (german: link=no, Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Prenzlauer Berg-Nord), within the Evangelical ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

and chaplain at St Barnabas Hospital in

. In 1943, he was elected as Dean of Trinity Cathedral in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

, remaining there until 1951.

Episcopacy

Powell was elected on the third ballot as

coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...

of Oklahoma on June 5, 1951, and was consecrated on November 2, 1951, by Presiding Bishop

Henry Knox Sherrill Henry Knox Sherrill (November 6, 1890 – May 11, 1980) was an Episcopal bishop. He was the 20th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church from 1947 to 1958, having previously served as Bishop of Massachusetts (1930-1947). Biography Henry Kno ...

. He succeeded as diocesan bishop of Oklahoma after Casady's retirement in 1953. At Powell's election, there were 35 clergy and a diocesan budget of $100,000.00. Powell is best remembered as a missionary bishop. Under his care, the diocese opened many new missions all over Oklahoma, including the panhandle as well as St Crispin's, a new conference center in Seminole. While Bishop of Oklahoma, Powell also chaired the Prayer Book Commission that produced the 1979 Prayer Book. At the end of his episcopate, there were 77 congregations, missions and parishes."Bishop Powell of Oklahoma Dies at Age 83"
''

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 ...

'', February 19, 1995. Retrieved on March 14, 2020.

References

1912 births 1994 deaths Episcopal bishops of Oklahoma Carleton College alumni Seabury-Western Theological Seminary alumni {{US-bishop-stub