Marjorie Matthews
| Bishop Marjorie Matthews | |
|---|---|
| Church | United Methodist Church |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1965 |
| Consecration | 1980 |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 11, 1916 Onaway, Michigan |
| Died | June 30, 1986 (aged 69) |
Marjorie Swank Matthews (July 11, 1916 – June 30, 1986) was an American bishop of the United Methodist Church.
She was born 11 July 1916 in Onaway, Michigan, to Jesse Alonzo and Charlotte Mae (Chapman) Swank.[1] She married young and divorced after World War II. She had one son, William Jesse Matthews.
Education
Matthews earned a B.A. degree from Central Michigan (1967) and a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Colgate Rochester Divinity School she earned an M.A. in Religion and a Doctorate in Humanities from Florida State University(1976).
Ordained Ministry
Matthews was ordained an elder in 1965 at the age of 49. She served small churches in Michigan, New York, and Florida. She was the second female district superintendent in the United Methodist Church.
Episcopal Ministry
Although she says she never intended to be a bishop, her election was endorsed by three annual conferences. After twenty-nine ballots, two bishops were elected by acclamation on the thirtieth ballot at the North Central Jurisdictional Conference on July 17, 1980. She was the first woman to become a bishop of the United Methodist Church. Matthews served the Wisconsin Area for four years, retiring in 1984. She died from cancer on 30 June 1986.
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