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Episcopal bishop John Coburn dies at 94

E-mail|Link|Comments () Posted by Michael Paulson August 13, 2009 10:03 AM

In today's Globe, there is an obituary, by Bryan Marquard, of Bishop John B. Coburn, who had served as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts from 1976 to 1986. Bishop Coburn died on Saturday, Aug. 8 at age 94. The lede:

In the summer of 1968, John Bowen Coburn was dean of Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, rising in the ranks of his denomination and destined to become a bishop. He also was deeply concerned about race relations in the country and troubled by the death of a former student, who was killed a few years earlier while working on a voter registration drive in Alabama.
Having long advised aspiring clergy to work in neighborhoods and engage in ministry first-hand, he took his own advice that year and left Cambridge. At 53, and the father of four, he moved his family to New York City and spent a year teaching high school dropouts in Harlem.

“I did it,’’ he said, “to practice what I preach.’’

Bishop Coburn, who subsequently spent a decade leading the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and who was president of the denomination’s national House of Deputies when it voted to allow the ordination of women, died Saturday in Carleton-Willard Village, a continuing care center in Bedford, where he had lived for a dozen years. He was 94, and his health had failed in the past few weeks.

The Episcopal Times has put together a web site memorializing Bishop Coburn. There is also an obituary at Episcopal News Service and some commentary at the blogs Episcopal Cafe and Titus on Mission.

(Photo, by Suzanne Kreiter of the Globe staff, shows Bishop Coburn at the Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston on September 13, 1986.)

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3 comments so far...

I recall when we allowed the ordination of women. The Anglican Communion got very upset and conservatives left the church and there was the threat of schism. And yet, the Episcopalian Church is stil here and still doing God's work. Thank you Bishop Coburn for your years of work and service.

Posted by EML August 14, 09 01:38 PM

When I attended Amherst College in the late 40's John posted a notice asking all interested in Lacrosse to meet with him.Out of that came our first team with him as volunteer coach.As I remember our athletic director did not favor adding such a sport but who could turn down such a person as John who also happened to be the college Chaplain.

Posted by Philip Cranshaw August 14, 09 04:43 PM

A diamond of many brillliant facets, John was, is, and will always be one of God's saints...a challenging mentor...and a dear friend.

Posted by James H. Purdy Rector, Saint Peter's Episcopal Church, Ladue, Saint Louis, Miissouri August 15, 09 06:48 PM

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Michael Paulson covers religion for The Boston Globe. He shared in the Pulitzer Prize in 2003, won the Mike Berger, Templeton and Supple awards in 2008, and is a four-time winner of the Wilbur Award.
E-mail mpaulson@globe.com.

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Harvey Cox, the Hollis professor of divinity at Harvard University, marks his retirement by asserting a little-used right of his professorship -- to graze a cow in Harvard Yard. Photo, by Barry Chin of the Globe staff, taken on Sept. 10, 2009 in Cambridge, Mass.