John Ellis Isbell
| John Ellis Isbell | |
|---|---|
 Bishop John Ellis “Jack” Isbell, III | |
| Native name | John Ellis Isbell, III |
| Born | November 1943 |
| 🏡 Residence | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| 🏳️ Nationality | American |
| 💼 Occupation | Independent Catholic Bishop |
| 🌐 Website | https://www.linkedin.com/in/bishop-jack-isbell-24124a1/ |
| bpjacki/ | |
| Styles of John Ellis Isbell, III | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | His Excellency |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
John Ellis "Jack" Isbell, III is an American Independent Catholic bishop who serves as Presiding Bishop of the International Ecumenical Catholic Church.
His biography on the LGBTQ Religious Archives Network reads:
"The Rev. Jack Isbell was born in 1943 in Nashville, Tennessee where he lived for his first 11 years. His father, Noel, was a chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy. His mother, Naomi, came from a strong Baptist heritage. He was baptized in March 1945 at his Aunt Ruth's church, Pilgrim Evangelical Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) in Lakewood, Ohio. Jack's religious upbringing was quite eclectic. He spent time during his childhood summers in Glasgow, Kentucky, with his grandmother who was Baptist and Uncle Bill who had converted to Catholicism while recuperating at a hospital in Italy during World War II. In Glasgow, Jack was mentored by Fr. Wheatly and served as altar boy at daily mass. He attended Sunday School at Dalewood Methodist Church near his parents' home in Nashville. The family moved to several Navy sites when Jack was ages 11 to 16--Corpus Christi, San Diego, Pensacola, and Ewa Beach, Hawaii--and Jack attended Baptist, Methodist and Christian (Disciples of Christ) congregations in those cities. At age 16, he was confirmed at a Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, in Hawaii. Throughout these years he also continued to attend mass and light candles to Jesus and the Blessed Mother.
"He graduated from Waipahu High School in Hawaii in 1961, one of only eight Haole (Caucasians) in his graduating class. He first attended Concordia College in Portland Oregon, and then received a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion from Valparaiso University in 1965. There he first attended and learned about the Episcopal Church. After college graduation, he taught elementary school in Hawaii and joined the Episcopal Church. In 1968, he enrolled in Virginia Theological Seminary and received a Master of Divinity in 1971. That same year he was ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Church and served as a curate at Christ Episcopal Church in Clinton, Maryland. He was ordained a priest in 1972 and was on the pastoral staff of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Cathedral in Honolulu.
"During seminary Jack began to question his sexual orientation. He shared his questions about his sexual orientation with his wife Darlene before they were married in 1967. Their son, John Ellis Isbell IV was born in 1972. During his second year of seminary he began attending the Community Church of Washington, D.C., pastored by Rev. Paul Breton. After Breton attended an early conference of the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) and met Troy Perry, he and the congregation affiliated with MCC. Later that same year Jack, still a seminarian, met Troy Perry and showed him around Washington National Cathedral. Jack was one of the charter members of MCC/DC in 1970. As Jack gradually became more public about his homosexual identity, his bishop in Hawaii forced him to renounce in his clerical orders."
Contact Information[edit]
1519 Nu’uanu Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817[1]
(808) 531-5288 work[2]
(808) 220-5875 cell[3]
isbellj001@hawaii.rr.com[4]
Eucharistic Communities[edit]
| Title | Community | City | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priest | St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Cathedral | Honolulu, Hawaii | 1972- |
Other Ministries[edit]
| Title | Ministry | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Presiding Bishop | International Ecumenical Catholic Church |
Significant Dates[edit]
- Nov 1943 - Born in Nashville, Tennessee
- 26 June 1971 - Ordained to the Diaconate by William Creighton of the Episcopal Church
- 2 February 1972 - Ordained to the Presbyterate by John Thomas Walker
- 16 September 1974 - Consecrated to the Episcopate by Robert J. Cunninghan
- 14 September 1998 - Consecrated sub conditione by Mark Steven Shirey Shirilau, Ron Lanham & Terry Flynn
- 19 Sep 2004 - Solemn Profession, Franciscans of the Holy Cross (OFC)
Education[edit]
- 1961 - Diploma, Waipahu High School, Waipahu, Hawaii
- 1965 - B.A., Valaparasio University, Indiana
- 1971 - M.Div., Virginia Theological Seminary
- 1982 - M.S.W., University of Hawaii-Manoa
Honorary Degrees & Degrees from Non-accredited Institutions[edit]
- 2003 - Doctor of Divinity, Sanctus Theological Seminary
In the News[edit]
Ordinations & Consecrations[edit]
- Unk - Isbell consecrated Robert D. Hall
