Fort Worth Elects Louisiana Priest
Episcopal News Service. November 29, 1984 [84236]
FORT WORTH (DPS, Nov. 28) -- The Rev. Clarence C. Pope, rector of St. Luke's, Baton Rouge, La., was elected Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Forth Worth at a special convention Sept. 14.
Pope, 54, was chosen in an unusual first ballot election over five other nominees. As coadjutor, he will automatically succeed the Rt. Rev. A. Donald Davies when the latter retires in January, 1986.
Pope is a graduate of Centenary College and the University of the South and was ordained priest in 1955.
After his ordination, Pope served as priest-in-charge at a number of missions in Louisiana and as rector of St. George's, Bossier City, before being called to Baton Rouge in 1963.
Pope was active in civic affairs in Bossier City and served on the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce.
He has held many diocesan posts, including those of president of the Standing Committee, vice-president of the Executive Board, and alternate deputy and deputy to two General Conventions. He is a founding board member of Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge, served as lay reader examiner for the diocese, and is a former trustee to All Saints' School, Vicksburg. He was a chaplain in the Air Force reserve for 10 years.
Davies, 64, became bishop of Dallas in 1970 after a ministry that included parish work, college chaplaincy, seminary teaching and staff duties at the Episcopal Church Center. He has been a member of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church since 1979 and chairs that body's standing committee on world mission. Until recently, he was also chairman of the General Convention's world mission panel and president of Province VII. When the Diocese of Fort Worth was created from the Diocese of Dallas at the 1982 General Convention, Davies exercised his right to choose which of the two he would preside over to take on the new task.