Biography: The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe

50 Words 

The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe was elected presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church in June 2024 and took office on Nov. 1 for a nine-year term. Known for his expertise in organizational learning and adaptive change, Rowe is committed to strengthening support for local ministry and mission. 

175 Words 

The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe was elected presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church in June 2024 and took office on Nov. 1 for a nine-year term. In this role, he serves as the church’s chief pastor and CEO. Known for his expertise in organizational learning and adaptive change, Rowe is committed to strengthening support for local ministry and mission.  

He was ordained bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania in 2007 after serving as rector of St. John’s in Franklin, Pennsylvania, for seven years. From 2014 to 2018, he served as bishop provisional of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, and from 2019 to 2024, he led a partnership between the Episcopal Dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York. 

Rowe holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Grove City College, a Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary, and a doctorate in organizational learning and leadership from Gannon University. He has served as a leader of many civic and churchwide organizations and governance bodies, and as parliamentarian for the House of Bishops. 

Full Bio 

The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe was elected presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church in June 2024 and took office on Nov. 1 for a nine-year term. In this role, he serves as the church’s chief pastor and CEO. Known for his expertise in organizational learning and adaptive change, Rowe is committed to strengthening support for local ministry and mission.  

He was ordained bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania in 2007 after serving as rector of St. John’s in Franklin, Pennsylvania, for seven years. From 2014 to 2018, he served as bishop provisional of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, and from 2019 to 2024, he led a partnership between the Episcopal Dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York. 

Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, into a family of steel and mill workers, Rowe was raised in the United Methodist Church and graduated from Grove City College in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in history. During Rowe’s college years, the Rev. Barbara Akin, chair of the history department at Grove City, gave him a Book of Common Prayer and invited him to the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Grove City, where he was confirmed and discerned a call to the priesthood. 

He enrolled at Virginia Theological Seminary after graduating from college, and after earning his Master of Divinity there in 2000, returned to Northwestern Pennsylvania to serve as rector of St. John’s, Franklin. During his seven years as rector, the congregation more than doubled in size. 

Rowe was 32 in May 2007 when he was elected bishop of Northwestern Pennsylvania on the first ballot. For almost 12 years, he was the youngest bishop in The Episcopal Church. In 2014, he earned a doctorate in organizational learning and leadership at Gannon University.  

Before his election as presiding bishop, Rowe served as a leader of many civic and churchwide organizations and governance bodies, and as parliamentarian for the House of Bishops. In 2018, he became the first bishop to serve on the House of Deputies Committee on the State of the Church, a position he held until 2022. That year, he was awarded the House of Deputies medal for his service. 

Rowe is married to Carly Rowe, a Christian educator, and they live with their daughter, Lauren, in Erie, Pennsylvania.