James Stuart Wetmore

infobox bishopbiog
name = James Stuart Wetmore


religion=Episcopalian
See = New York
Title = Suffragan Bishop of New York
Period = 1960-1987
Predecessor = Charles F. Boynton
Successor = Paul Moore, Jr.
ordination = 1939
bishops = None
post = None | date of birth = October 22, 1915
place of birth = New Brunswick

James Stuart Wetmore or J. Stuart Wetmore (born October 22, 1915 in Hampton, New Brunswick, Canada; died December 28, 1999 in Poughkeepsie, New York) was a U.S. Episcopal Bishop in New York.

Wetmore was a direct descendant of Reverend James Wetmore, who served as founder and rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Rye, New York 1723-1760.

Son of Charles Talbot and Alberta Mae Wetmore, he became a deacon in 1938 and was ordained a priest in 1939 for the Diocese of New Brunswick of the Anglican Church of Canada.

Early career

His Canadian assignments included Field Secretary and General Secretary of the General Board of Religious Education. He traveled constantly through Eastern Canada and Newfoundland, building up local Christian formation programs and stimulating the creation of regional programs such as Camp Medley in Upper Gagetown, New Brunswick [ [http://www.campmedley.ca Camp Medley ] ] . He moved to the United States in 1953, serving as Director of Christian Education of the Diocese of New York until 1960.

He was named a Canon of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York in 1959 and was elected and ordained suffragan bishop in 1960. He is noted for serving longer than any other in that capacity, for twenty-seven years [ [http://www.churchpublishing.org/general_convention/pdf_gc_2000_journal/cpi_journal_lakearrowhead.pdf H:cpiConvention JournalobsDirectory.wpd ] ] .

Health Issues

In 1963, Wetmore collapsed at a Christmas service at the Cathedral and was taken to the hospital. Although the immediate diagnosis was heat exhaustion, the medical examination revealed that he was suffering from cancer of the larynx. After surgery to remove the cancer, Wetmore had to cope for the rest of his ministry with a voice which was faint and hoarse. For several years he made use of his own portable sound system, as voice amplification was rare in smaller churches in the diocese at that time, to continue to be able to preach and lead worship.

Interfaith Ministry

Wetmore was also known for his interfaith work. He became the first non-Catholic to preach from the pulpit of St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1968. Additionally, he chaired the diocesan Ecumenical Commission from 1969 to 1988, and was a founding director of the Council of Churches of the City of New York from 1960 to 1988. He also served as Director of the Council of Churches of New York State from 1965 to 1968.

Wetmore served as Chair of the committee that oversaw the construction and functioning of the Protestant and Orthodox Pavilion at the New York World's Fair of 1964-65. One of his key contributions was successfully lobbying for the showing of the controversial and moving short film, "Parable" [ [http://inareaumc.org/2004/April_04/awardwinning_parable.htm Award-winning 'Parable' available from EcuFilm ] ] at the Pavilion, instead of the proposed dramatic readings from famous sermons.

Family

Wetmore married Frances Howard Robinson in 1940. Together they had five children, and at the time of his death Wetmore had eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. [ [http://www.province2.org/grapevine/gv-w00c.html The Grapevine - Volume 7 Number 1 - Winter 2000 ] ]

References

Persondata
NAME=Wetmore, James Stuart
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=J. Stuart Wetmore
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Suffragan Episcopal bishop of New York.
DATE OF BIRTH=October 22, 1915
PLACE OF BIRTH=Hampton, New Brunswick, Canada
DATE OF DEATH=December 22, 1999
PLACE OF DEATH=Poughkeepsie, New York