Bishop Henry Parsley Attends 192nd Convention

It’s nice to be here with you. I’ve never been in Doug Carpenter Hall before - it’s fabulous. I remember when Bethany and this new development of camp across the road was just a glint in the eye of a few people. It’s wonderful to see what’s happened here. Amazing. And I must say it was kind of odd to see my name on a little sign that says “Parsley Commons”. I’ve always felt very common. So now I have a Commons, which is wonderful.

I’ve been looking for an opportunity to say hello, particularly since Glenda became your new bishop. I couldn’t come to her consecration, I couldn’t come to the institution because of Covid and my delicate age. I’ve been wanting to come and just be able to say, I’m so glad you’re number 12, Bishop Curry, it’s wonderful. I do remember when you came to me thinking about offering yourself for ordination and guiding you through the process and ordaining you and knowing your many gifts. It’s great to see them being put to such good use now as the first woman bishop of the Diocese of Alabama.

You know, there are several kinds of bishops. Diocesan bishops and coadjutor bishops and suffragan bishops and assistant bishops and provisional bishops. I’ve been fortunate to be three of those: your coadjutor, your diocesan, and then provisional in Maryland. I would like to tell you two funny stories, because my life in Alabama has continued to follow me around. When I went to be provisional bishop in eastern Maryland, I went to a little church called St. Paul’s, Kent Island. The first thing they did was take me out into the churchyard and show me the grave of Tallulah Bankhead, thinking that Alabama saint would mean a lot to me. And she did. And the church I go to now in Wilmington, North Carolina, where we live, once elected Richard Hooker Wilmer to be their rector, although he never served. Then he got elected bishop of second Bishop of Alabama. So I keep running into Alabama wherever I go.

One of the nicest things about being retired and in my 75th year is having a huge wealth of memories to think about, many of which come from right here. The churches, the people, the places of sweet home, Alabama. I think about you often. I keep up with The Alabama Episcopalian. I read lots of enews and it’s just great to see the continued vitality and life of this diocese. I never fail to tell my friends that the Diocese of Alabama is one of the most vital, healthy, and strong dioceses in the whole Episcopal church. I consider it one of the great honors of my life to have served as your bishop for a while. Thank you for what you continue to do in God’s service to build the church.

As I was driving through Jasper, that familiar old road to camp, I saw a little sign on the road that said, “Feed and seed deliveries to the left”. I thought to myself, isn’t that kind of what the church is all about? Feeding and seeding - feeding each other with the grace and love of Jesus and seeding ministries, seeding outreach, and seeding love and hope in the world. When I was here, I think we did some feeding and seeding, and I know you continue to do that, so I wish you every blessing as you keep going forward.

I am still doing some work as a bishop, less and less as I get older and older, but I’ll always be enormously grateful to being part of the life of the Diocese of Alabama. It’s a long way to Wilmington, North Carolina, where my family’s from and where we live, so I don’t get over here enough, but I think about you often. I pray for you regularly, and I have great hope that you’ll continue to be, if not the best diocese in the Episcopal church, one of the top two or three. Keep it up, Glenda. Thank you very much.

The Rt. Rev. Henry N. Parsley