Today in Wheeling History: December 20 - William E. Swing, Episcopal bishop and interfaith leader, ordained as a priest in Wheeling (1961).
William Edwin Swing was born on August 26, 1936, in Huntington, West Virginia. Swing pursued higher education at Kenyon College, earning an A.B. in 1958 and later a D.D. in 1981. He continued his theological studies at Virginia Theological Seminary, receiving an M.Div. in 1961 and a D.D. in 1980.
Swing was ordained a deacon on June 11, 1961, in Huntington, and a priest on December 20, 1961, in Wheeling. He served as curate of St. Matthew's Church in Wheeling from 1961 to 1963, and later as vicar of St. Thomas' Church in Weirton and St. Matthew's Church in Chester, West Virginia, from 1963 to 1969. His dedication to ministry and community service led to his election as the seventh Bishop of California in 1979, a position he held until 2006.
During his tenure as bishop, Swing was a pioneer in responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and homelessness in San Francisco. He founded the United Religions Initiative (URI), an international NGO promoting interfaith cooperation. Swing's work earned him numerous awards and recognition for his commitment to service and interfaith dialogue.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://shorturl.at/DHMuH), Parliament of the World's Religions (https://shorturl.at/mIMdN)
Photo credits: Bishop William E. Swing (Parliament of the World's Religions)
William Edwin Swing was born on August 26, 1936, in Huntington, West Virginia. Swing pursued higher education at Kenyon College, earning an A.B. in 1958 and later a D.D. in 1981. He continued his theological studies at Virginia Theological Seminary, receiving an M.Div. in 1961 and a D.D. in 1980.
Swing was ordained a deacon on June 11, 1961, in Huntington, and a priest on December 20, 1961, in Wheeling. He served as curate of St. Matthew's Church in Wheeling from 1961 to 1963, and later as vicar of St. Thomas' Church in Weirton and St. Matthew's Church in Chester, West Virginia, from 1963 to 1969. His dedication to ministry and community service led to his election as the seventh Bishop of California in 1979, a position he held until 2006.
During his tenure as bishop, Swing was a pioneer in responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and homelessness in San Francisco. He founded the United Religions Initiative (URI), an international NGO promoting interfaith cooperation. Swing's work earned him numerous awards and recognition for his commitment to service and interfaith dialogue.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://shorturl.at/DHMuH), Parliament of the World's Religions (https://shorturl.at/mIMdN)
Photo credits: Bishop William E. Swing (Parliament of the World's Religions)
RSS Feed
