Timothy W. Whitaker was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi on October 5, 1948. He is married to Melba J. Jarvis of Brandon, Mississippi. They have two sons, Scott and Eric. Scott is married to Michele Wrobleski of Buffalo, New York. He attended public school in Warren County, Mississippi, and he is a graduate of Warren Central High School in Vicksburg. He received an Associate of Arts degree from Hinds Jr. College, and he was graduated summa cum laude from Millsaps College in 1970. He was graduated summa cum laude from Candler School of Theology, Emory University in 1973. He has been awarded numerous academic honors including being admitted into Phi Alpha Theta, a history honorary society, and Theta Phi, a theology society. He received the Award for Academic Excellence from Candler School of Theology in 1973. He was ordained deacon in the Mississippi Conference in 1971 and elder in the Mississippi Conference in 1974. He transferred to the Virginia Conference in 1975. In the Virginia Conference he served as pastor of rural, small town, suburban, and center city churches. He was the Superintendent of the Norfolk District when he was elected to the Episcopacy on February 27, 2001. As an elder in the Virginia Conference, he served on many conference committees. He was President of the Board of Discipleship. Vice-President of the Board of Global Ministries, and Chair of the Division of Elders of the Board of Ordained Ministry. During his ministry, he was involved in a number of community service agencies including hospice, sheltered workshops, a soup kitchen, and tutoring of inner city children. Occasionally he has published articles in magazines and newspapers including The Christian Century, Circuit Rider, Lectionary Homiletics and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. A student of patristics and history of the early church, Bishop Whitaker is interested in recovering the living tradition of the Christian church for equipping the contemporary church to fulfill its mission in a pluralistic and secularized society. Personal interests include reading modern American poetry and cycling. |
