Hines, John Elbridge

Hines, John Elbridge (Oct. 3, 1910-July 19, 1997). Twenty-second Presiding Bishop. He was born in Seneca, South Carolina. Hines received his B.A. from the University of the South in 1930 and his B.D. from the Virginia Theological Seminary in 1933. He was ordained deacon on Aug. 31, 1933, and priest on Oct. 28, 1934. Hines was assistant rector of St. Stephen and St. George Church, St. Louis, Missouri, 1933-1935; rector of Holy Trinity Church, Hannibal, Missouri, 1935-1937; and rector of St. Paul's Church, Augusta, Georgia, 1937-1941. From 1941 until 1945, he was rector of Christ Church, Houston, Texas. On Oct. 18, 1945, Hines was consecrated Bishop Coadjutor of Texas. He became the fourth Bishop of Texas on Nov. 1, 1955. While Bishop of Texas he was one of the founders of the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest at Austin, which opened in 1951. Hines was elected Presiding Bishop at the age of 54, the youngest in the history of the church at that time. He served in that capacity from Jan. 1, 1965, until May 31, 1974. Hines was committed to racial and social justice. He was the architect of the General Convention Special Program, which was established by the General Convention of 1967 to encourage the use of political and economic power by and for the dispossessed and oppressed people of the United States. While he was Presiding Bishop, women were seated as deputies at General Convention and allowed to be ordained deacons. Hines died in Austin, Texas.