Walter Dennis
{{short description|Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Bishop
| honorific-prefix = The Right Reverend
| name = Walter Decoster Dennis
| honorific-suffix = D.D.
| title = Suffragan Bishop of New York
| image = Walter Decoster Dennis, Jr.jpg
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| church = Episcopal Church
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| diocese = New York
| elected = 1979
| term = 1979–1998
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| predecessor = Harold Louis Wright
| successor = Catherine S. Roskam
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| ordination = June 1958
| ordained_by = Horace W. B. Donegan
| consecration = October 6, 1979
| consecrated_by = Paul Moore Jr.
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1932|08|23}}
| birth_place = Washington, D.C., United States
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2003|03|30|1932|08|23}}
| death_place = Hampton, Virginia, United States
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| religion = Anglican
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| parents = Walter Decoster Dennis Sr. & Helen Louise Maddux
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Walter Decoster Dennis, Jr. (August 23, 1932 – March 30, 2003) was a suffragan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, from 1979 to 1998.Paul Lewis, [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/03/nyregion/bishop-walter-d-dennis-70-top-aide-in-episcopal-diocese.html "Bishop Walter D. Dennis, 70, Top Aide in Episcopal Diocese"], New York Times, April 3, 2003
- [http://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/article/bishop-walter-dennis-dies-after-long-illness "Bishop Walter Dennis dies after long illness"], Episcopal Church website, April 1, 2003
Early life and education
Dennis was born on August 23, 1932, in Washington, D.C., the son of Walter Decoster Dennis Sr. and Helen Maddux. He studied at the Virginia State College, from where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1952.{{cite journal |date=1977 |title=Dennis, Walter Decoster|journal=Who's Who in Religion |pages=158}} He then studied at the New York University and graduated with a Master of Arts in North American history and constitutional law in 1953. Later on, he enrolled at the General Theological Seminary and earned his Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 1956. In 1972 he also earned a postgraduate diploma from New York University.{{cite journal |date=1980 |title=Walter Decoster Dennis (734)|journal=The Episcopal Church Annual |pages=295}}
Priest
Dennis was ordained deacon on June 15, 1956, at Grace Church in Norfolk, Virginia, by Bishop George P. Gunn of Southern Virginia.{{cite journal |date=8 July 1956 |title=Deacons|journal=The Living Church |volume=133|pages=15}} He then became curate at St Philip's Church in Brooklyn, New York City, and in September of that year became curate at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.Morton, Richard Lee (1964). Virginia Lives: The Old Dominion Who's who, p. 263. Historical Record Association, New York, NY. {{ISBN|1135513384}}. During his time at the cathedral, he was ordained priest in June 1958 by Bishop Horace W. B. Donegan of New York. In 1960 he became vicar of St Cyprian's Church in Hampton, Virginia, and between 1961 and 1965, he also served as assistant professor of history and constitutional law at the Hampton Institute. In 1965, he returned to New York City and became residentiary canon of the cathedral chapter of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. During that time he became well known for his involvement in social issues and civil rights. He also taught Christian Ethics at the General Theological Seminary.Murphy, Larry G.; Melton, J. Gordon; & Ward, Gary L. (2013). Encyclopedia of African American Religions, p. 233. Routledge.
Bishop
Dennis was elected on the third ballot as Suffragan Bishop of New York, during a special convention of the Diocese of New York in 1979.[https://www.episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/ENS/ENSpress_release.pl?pr_number=79194 "Dennis Named New York Suffragan"], Episcopal News Service, 1979. Retrieved on 2 May 2020. He was consecrated at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on October 6, 1979, by Bishop Paul Moore Jr. of New York. Dennis was favored by many to be elected as diocesan bishop during the 1989 election, however he withdrew the nomination citing medical reasons. He retained the post till his retirement in 1998. He died on March 30, 2003, in Hampton, Virginia.{{cite journal |date=30 April 2003 |title=Bishop Dennis of New York Blazed Trials of Inclusion|journal=The Living Church |volume=226|pages=8}}[https://episcopalarchives.org/church-awakens/exhibits/show/leadership/clergy/dennis "The Right Reverend Walter Dennis, 1932-2003"], Episcopal Archives. Retrieved on 2 May 2020.
Dennis Canon
He drafted the "Dennis Canon" which seeks to impose a trust, in favor of the Episcopal Church, on property held by a local group of Episcopal adherents. Its intended effect is to discourage a local group from withdrawing from the Episcopal Church, as under the Dennis Canon such property would revert to the Episcopal Church.
References
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Category:African-American Episcopalians
Category:20th-century American Episcopalians
Category:Religious leaders from Washington, D.C.
Category:Virginia State University alumni
Category:New York University alumni
Category:General Theological Seminary alumni
Category:Episcopal bishops of New York
Category:20th-century American clergy