Bishop
Gordon Paul Scruton
Bishop Gordon Paul Scruton of the
Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts
has spent most of his lifetime working
for God.
Elected the eighth Bishop of the
Diocese of Western Massachusetts
on June 29, 1996, Bishop Scruton
has been a member of the Episcopal
clergy for more than 20 years.
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He was consecrated a bishop
on Oct. 12, 1996 in Springfield,
MA. Co-consecrators were retired
Bishops Alexander Stewart and
Andrew Wissemann, of the Diocese
of Western Mass.; M. Thomas Shaw
and Barbara Harris of the Diocese
of Massachusetts, and Emmanuel
Kolini, Bishop of the Diocese
of Shaba in Zaire. |
Bishop Scruton was born in Rochester,
N.H., March 8, 1947, the son of a
retired United Methodist pastor.
The Scruton family's history in New
Hampshire extends back to the 1740s,
when ancestors first came there from
England.
He received a master's degree in
English, magna cum laude, from Barrington
College. He then studied at the Boston
University School of Theology, receiving
a master's degree in theology in
1971.
He was ordained to the deaconate
in 1971 and the priesthood in 1972
in the Diocese of Rhode Island. He
began his ministry as assistant rector
at St. Mark's Church in Riverside,
R.I in 1971.
In 1975 he was named assistant rector
at St. Paul's Church in Kingston,
R.I. While in Rhode Island he served
the Diocese on the Commission on
Ministry, the Evangelism Commission,
and as a Stewardship consultant.
Bishop Scruton was called to become
rector of Grace Church in Dalton,
Mass., in 1977. He served there until
1981, when he was called to St. Francis
Church in Holden, Mass. He was rector
of that rapidly growing suburban
parish at the time of his election
to the episcopate.
Throughout his ordained ministry,
Bishop Scruton has placed strong
emphasis on the development of the
spiritual life of clergy and laity.
Bishop Scruton has been a member
of The Fellowship of the Way of the
Cross for more than 25 years, providing
spiritual direction and oversight
for 40 Episcopal clergy in the Northeast,
and was Superior from 1986 to 1996.
He has been active in local ecumenical
relations.
From 1979 to 1987, he chaired the
Spiritual Life Commission of the
Diocese of Western Massachusetts,
and later served for three years
on the Congregational Development
Commission. Locally, h helped initiate
Cursillo, a weekend focused on the
renewal of faith for lay people;
and Education for Ministry, a four-year
in-depth study of theology, also
for lay people. He also helped start
a Spiritual Direction program for
the Diocese.
During a 1993 sabbatical, he taught "Spiritual
Direction of Congregations" and "Priestly
Spirituality" at Wycliffe College
in Toronto, Canada.
A passion for global mission led
him to take parishes on mission trips
to the Dominican Republic in recent
years. He has been a frequent conductor
of spiritual retreats and conferences.
For many years he has led clergy
colleague groups and has consulted
with congregations interested in
spiritual health and development.
He has published articles concerning
spiritual life and congregational
development in The Living Church,
Alban Institute's Action Information,
and The New England Church Resource
Handbook.
He currently serves on the National
Stewardship and Development Committee.
Bishop Scruton and the former Rebecca
S. Polley were married in 1968. Their
children, Christine and Gregory,
are both married and living in Massachusetts.
The Scrutons have two grandchildren,
Hannah Kate and Jacob Gregory.
e-mail
the Bishop's Office
413.737.4786 ext 23
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