Sean Rowe

Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, Rowe grew up in nearby Hermitage. Both his grandfathers were steelworkers, while his father worked for the state parole board and his mother at a local auto plant. He was active in the boy scouts and was elected class president in his final year at Hickory High School in Hermitage. Although his mother's background was Roman Catholic and his father's was in the United Church of Christ, Rowe attended Hickory Global Methodist Church, where he felt his first call to church leadership. He studied for a B.A. in history from Grove City College, where the chair of the history department, an Episcopal priest, introduced him to the Episcopal Church.

He later received an M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in organizational learning and leadership from Gannon University. Ordained in 2000, he served as rector of Saint John's Episcopal Church in Franklin, Pennsylvania, from 2000 to 2007.{{Cite web |last=Davidson |first=Tom |date=2007-09-13 |title=Called to service |url=https://www.sharonherald.com/community/called-to-service/article_f3f77c9e-c9b0-50ce-903a-4b0ef86453b8.html |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=The Herald |language=en}}

Image:ECUSA Northwestern Pennsylvania.png

Rowe was elected Bishop of Northwestern Pennsylvania in 2007 at the age of 32, making him the youngest member of the House of Bishops. At the election, which was held at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Erie, Pennsylvania, on May 19, 2007, he was elected on the first ballot from a slate of four candidates, with 64 lay votes and 29 clergy votes.{{Cite web |title=Episcopal News Service: Press Release # 091207-05 |url=https://www.episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/ENS/ENSpress_release.pl?pr_number=091207-05 |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=www.episcopalarchives.org}}{{Cite web |title=Episcopal News Service: Press Release # 051907-01 |url=https://www.episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/ENS/ENSpress_release.pl?pr_number=051907-01 |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=www.episcopalarchives.org}}

His consecration took place on September 8, 2007,{{Cite web |title=Episcopal News Service: Press Release # 091207-05 |url=https://www.episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/ENS/ENSpress_release.pl?pr_number=091207-05 |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=www.episcopalarchives.org}}{{Cite web |date=2007-09-06 |title=Bishop consecration Saturday |url=https://www.sharonherald.com/community/bishop-consecration-saturday/article_2d07350f-ffd5-5419-843d-0e3624200577.html |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=The Herald |language=en}} and the consecrators included Katharine Jefferts Schori, Robert D. Rowley, Mark Dyer, Ralph E. Jones of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Arthur Williams and Wayne P. Wright.{{Cite web |title=Episcopal News Service: Press Release # 091207-05 |url=https://www.episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/ENS/ENSpress_release.pl?pr_number=091207-05 |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=www.episcopalarchives.org}}

In 2008, Rowe was appointed to the theology faculty at Gannon University. The following year he was granted an honorary doctorate in divinity from the Virginia Theological Seminary. In 2022 he was awarded the House of Deputies Medal.{{Cite web |title=President of the House of Deputies |url=https://www.facebook.com/JuliaAyalaHarrisPHoD/posts/president-jenningss-49th-and-final-executive-council-meeting-ends-today-at-last-/2249125495226504/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=www.facebook.com |language=en}}

In 2014 Rowe was elected to serve as Provisional Bishop of Bethlehem in eastern Pennsylvania,{{Cite web |last=mmacdonald |date=2014-03-03 |title=Bishop Sean Rowe is elected provisional bishop of Bethlehem diocese |url=https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2014/03/03/bishop-sean-rowe-is-elected-provisional-bishop-of-bethlehem-diocese/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=Episcopal News Service |language=en-US}} receiving all 64 clergy votes and 99 of the 100 lay votes in the election. He continued to serve as Bishop of Northwestern Pennsylvania at the same time, until the Right Reverend Kevin D. Nichols became Bishop of Bethlehem in 2018.{{Cite web |last=mmacdonald |date=2018-09-21 |title=Kevin D. Nichols ordained as 9th bishop of the Diocese of Bethlehem |url=https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2018/09/21/kevin-d-nichols-ordained-as-9th-bishop-of-the-diocese-of-bethlehem-penn/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=Episcopal News Service |language=en-US}}

In 2017 Rowe sent a letter, along with the Right Reverend R. William Franklin of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York and the chairs of the standing committees of the dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York, proposing the creation of "a unique partnership in which the two dioceses would share a single bishop, a single staff".{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://episcopalpartnership.org/our-partnership/history/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=The Episcopal Dioceses of Western New York & Northwestern Pennsylvania |language=en-US}} Following consultations across the region, both standing committees approved an arrangement to "share a bishop and staff for five years while exploring a long-term relationship".{{Cite web |last=mmacdonald |date=2018-05-08 |title=Dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania, Western New York move toward collaboration |url=https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2018/05/08/dioceses-of-northwestern-pennsylvania-western-new-york-move-toward-collaboration/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=Episcopal News Service |language=en-US}} A joint convention of dioceses was held on October 26, 2018, in Niagara Falls, and the plan was approved by a wide margin.

Rowe became Provisional Bishop of Western New York on April 7, 2019, upon the retirement of the Right Reverend William Franklin,{{Cite web |date=2019-10-09 |title=Two Dioceses, Two States, One Bishop |url=https://livingchurch.org/2019/10/09/two-dioceses-two-states-one-bishop/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=The Living Church |language=en-US}} and in 2022 the two standing committees voted to extend the partnership by two years.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-11 |title=Diocesan Partnership Extended by Two Years: A Letter from the Standing Committees Presidents |url=https://episcopalpartnership.org/diocesan-partnership-extended-by-two-years-a-letter-from-the-standing-committees-presidents/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=The Episcopal Dioceses of Western New York & Northwestern Pennsylvania |language=en-US}}

On April 2, 2024, Rowe was announced as a candidate to succeed Michael Curry as presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, at the election to be held at the 81st General Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, on June 26, 2024.[https://generalconvention.org/nominees-for-the-28th-presiding-bishop/ 81st General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Nominees for the 28th Presiding Bishop], press release, April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.

Meeting at Christ Church Cathedral, Louisville, the House of Bishops elected Rowe with 89 of 158 votes cast on the first ballot. His election was later ratified by the laity and clergy in the House of Deputies. He was the youngest person to serve as presiding bishop when his nine-year term began on November 1, 2024.

In a break with tradition, Rowe announced that his installation would be held at the Episcopal Church's headquarters in New York, rather than at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.[https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2024/06/28/presiding-bishop-elect-to-forego-installation-at-national-cathedral-scaled-back-event-to-be-held-at-churchs-new-york-headquarters/ Episcopal News Service, "Presiding bishop-elect to forego installation at National Cathedral; scaled-back event to be held at church's New York headquarters"], June 28, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024. The scaled-down service, intended to reduce the event's carbon footprint, took place on November 2, 2024, at the Chapel of Christ the Lord in the Episcopal Church Center, and was attended by Rowe's predecessors, Michael Curry and Katharine Jefferts Schori.{{cite web |title=Save the date for Presiding Bishop-elect Rowe's installation service |url=https://www.episcopalchurch.org/publicaffairs/save-the-date-for-presiding-bishop-elect-rowes-installation-service/ |website=The Episcopal Church |access-date=24 July 2024 |date=22 July 2024}} It contained prayers, readings and hymns in English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Arabic, Hebrew and other languages,[https://www.episcopalchurch.org/investiture/ Episcopal Church, Investiture website]. Retrieved November 4, 2024. and in his sermon, based on the story of Lazarus of Bethany, Rowe emphasized the importance of supporting the ministries at the congregational and diocesan levels.[https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2024/11/02/presiding-bishop-sean-rowe-takes-office-proclaims-one-church-in-christ-for-a-changing-world/ Episcopal News Service, "Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe takes office, proclaims 'one church in Christ' for a changing world"], November 2, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.[https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/8-november/news/world/us-presiding-bishop-signals-change-of-direction-with-modest-investiture-in-new-york Church Times, "US Presiding Bishop signals change of direction with modest investiture in New York"], November 4, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.

On November 6, 2024, the day after the 2024 United States presidential election, Rowe sent a letter to members of the Episcopal Church, stating "We are Christians who support the dignity, safety, and equality of women and LGBTQ+ people as an expression of our faith", adding "I pray that President Trump and his administration will do the same."[https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/07/us/trump-believers-presidency-god.html New York Times, "Trump’s Believers See a Presidency With God on Their Side"], November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.

On January 9, 2025, Rowe officiated at the state funeral of President Jimmy Carter, held at Washington National Cathedral.[https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2025/01/09/jimmy-carter-remembered-by-grandsons-friends-president-biden-at-national-cathedral-funeral/ Episcopal News Service, "Jimmy Carter remembered by grandsons, friends, President Biden at National Cathedral funeral"], January 9, 2025. Retrieved January 9, 2025.

Rowe is married to Carly Rowe, with whom he has one daughter.

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{{s-bef|before=Robert D. Rowley}}

{{s-ttl|title=8th Bishop of Northwestern Pennsylvania|years=2007–2024}}

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{{s-ttl|title=28th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church|years=2024–present}}

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Category:1975 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Erie, Pennsylvania

Category:Grove City College alumni

Category:Virginia Theological Seminary alumni

Category:Episcopal bishops of Northwestern Pennsylvania

Category:Episcopal bishops of Bethlehem

Category:Episcopal bishops of Western New York

Category:Presiding Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America